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Dingee-MacGregor 




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Book. _^x^_^x^ 

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COPYRIGHT i^EPOsrr. 



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COPYRIGHTED BY 

R. T. ROBINSON 

1899 

And 

1911 



HAMMOND PRESS 

W. B. CONKEY COMPANY 

CHICAGO 



'CU2S39GI 



PREFACE 




(HE object o£ this book Is to enable the owners 
and the operators of "Case" Threshing Machinery 
to become famihar with the construction and op- 
eration of their engines and machines. The material has 
been gathered, not only from the author's personal experi- 
ence, but also from notes taken during visits to the outfits 
of a large number of the best and most successful thresher- 
men in various localities. The aim has been to avoid the- 
orizing and only such statements are made as have been 
demonstrated practical, by actual field experience. The 
fact is appreciated that it is impossible to lay down specific 
rules for operating threshing machinery, under the ever 
varying conditions of grain, straw and weather, but it is 
hoped that the suggestions herein embodied will enable a 
man of ordinary intelligence to operate his machine suc- 
cessfully, and even to become an expert himself. 

It is the intention to continue revising it from time to 
time, and with this aim in view, suggestions and criticisms 
will be welcomed from threshermen, wherever located, to 
whom this little volume is respectfully dedicated. 



CONTENTS 



For Index, see page 249 

PART I. ENGINES 

Pag-e. 
Chapter I Pitting Up and Starting- a New Engine 9 

II Tlie Feed Water 15 

III Firing with Various Fuels 33 

IV Lubrication and Adjustment of Bearings 43 

V Handling the Engin^e 59 

VI The Engine Proper 65 

VII The Valve Gear 89 

VIII The Boiler , 107 

IX The Traction Gearing 121 

X Water Tanks 129 

XI Horse Powers 131 

PART II, SEPARATORS 

Page. 
Chapter I Starting and S'etting a Separator 147 

" II The Cs'-linder, Concaves and Beater 153 

" III The Straw-rack and Conveyor 167 

" IV The Cleaning Apparatus 169 

" V Threshing with a Regularly Equipped Separator .181 

" VI Threshing with a Specially Equipp^ed Separator. .191 

VII The Pulleys and Belting of a Separator 207 

VIII Lubrication and Care of the Sepai-ator 219 

IX Feeding the Separator 227 

X The Straw Stackers 233 

XI The Grain Handlers 241 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 
Fig-. 1 Left Side Elevation of Case Traction Engine 8 

2 Top or Plan View of Case Traction Engine 14 

3 Lime in Feed Pipe Nipple 16 

" 4 Sectional View of Injector 22 

5 Sectional View of Marsii Pump 25 

6 Section of Clieck-Valve 28 

7 Sectional View of Cast Shell Heater 30 

8 Sectional View of Steel Shell Heater ^. . 31 

9 Sectional View of Fire Box for Burning Straw 36 

10 Sectional View of Fire Box for Burning Oil 38 

11 Sectional View of "Ideal" Cup 46 

12 Oil Pump Attached 47 

13 "Swift" Lubricator 48 

14 The Connecting-Rod 51 

15 The Cross-Head 53 

16 Board used in Babbitting Cannon Bearing 56 

17 Cannon Bearing in Position for Babbitting 57 

18 Side Elevation of Engine Proper 65 

19 Sectional View of Simpl-e Cylinder 66 

20 Governor for Engine 72 

21 Section of Governor Valve 74 

, " 22 Engine Belted to Prony Brake 79 

23 Prony Brake 80 

24 Sectional View of Woolf Compounded Cylinder 84 

25 Face of Compounded Valve 85 

26 Pipe to Steam Plugs, Compounded Valve 86 

27 Center-Head Packing - 87 

28 The Woolf Reverse Valve Gear 90 

29 Tram on Disc • . 94 

30 Tram on Cross Head 95 

31 Tram on Valve Stem 97 

32 Sectional Vievv' of Boiler 106 

53 Interior of Steam Gage 108 

34 Section of Steam Gage Siphon 108 

'• 35 Sectional View of Pop Valve 109 

36 Fusible Plug in Section 110 

37 Cut Showing Cannon Bearing and Gearing 122 

38 Friction Clutch of CaSB Engine 123 

" 39 Section of Plub Portion of Clutch 124 

40 The Differential Gear, Showing Springs 127 

41 Top View of Power with Sweeps Attached 133 

42 Sectional View of Iron Frame Horse Power 143 

43 Sectional Viev\^ of Case Separator 146 

44 Cut Showing Space Between Teeth 158 

" 45 Right Side of Belt Separator v/ith Feeder and Wind 

Stacker • • • • • 164 

" 46 Left Side of Separator with Feeder, Weigher ar.d Wind 

Stacker 1"^ 

" 47 Right Side of Geared Separator with Common Stacker. .166 

48 Shoe, Showing Position of Sieve Rods 172 

49 Lip Sieves (reduced) 174 

50 Sieves and Screens (full size) 175 

51 Spacing of Holes in Leather Belts 214 

" 52 Belt Lacing with Ends Turned Up 214 

58 Lacing for Four Inch Leather Belt ^lo 

54 Location of Holes for Lacing Canvas Belt 217 

" 55 Stitched Canvas Belt Lacing 218 

56 Sectional View of Case Feeder ^^^ 

57 Sectional View of Wind Stacker ^3.5 

58 Telescoping Device for Straw-Chute ^^^ 

" 59 Head of Case Weigher 243 



Page. 
Chapter I Fitting- Up and Starting a New Engine 9 

ir The Peed Water 15 

III Firing witli Various Fuels 33 

IV Lubrication and Adjustment of Bearings 43 

V Handling the Engine 59 

VI The Engine Proper 65 

VII The Valve Gear 89 

VIII The Boiler 107 

IX The Traction Gearing 121 

X V7ater Tanks 129 

XI Horse Powers 131 



CHAPTER I 
FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW ENGINE 

IN packing an engine for shipment it is usual to remove 
the brass fittings to prevent their being stolen. These, 
together with the hose, governor belt and wrenches 
are packed in a box. The rod for the flue scraper (and 
the straw fork, for straw burning boiler), are placed in 
the boiler tubes and the hose and funnel for filling' the 
boiler are placed in the smoke-box. The fire-box, ash- 
pan, tubes and smoke-box should be examined to insure 
the removal of all loose parts before the fire is started. 

Attaching Brass Fittings. In attaching the fittings to 
the boiler, care should be taken to screw them in tightly 
enough to prevent leaking. Brass expands more with heat 
than iron, therefore where a brass fitting screws into iron, 
the joint will be tighter when hot than when cold: conse- 
quently should there be a leakage it should be stopped by 
screwing the fitting in a little further when cold. In screw- 
ing a pipe into a valve or other fitting, the wrench should 
be used on the end of the valve into which the pipe is being 
screwed. When the wrench is put on the opposite end, 
the valve body is subjected to a twisting strain that is very 
liable to distort and ruin the seat. The blow-off valve 

9 



10 SCIENCE OE SUCCESSEUI. THRESHING 

and other valves about the engine should be so attached 
that the pressure will be on the under side of the valve 
seat. Then the packing around the valve stem can leak 
only when the valve is open, and may be renewed under 
pressure at any time the valve is shut. A valve when cold 
should not be too tightly closed, as expansion due to heat- 
ing will force the valve so hard against its seat as to 
injure it. 

Starting the Fire. When the fittings are all in place, 
fill the boiler with v/ater, by means of the funnel, until 
the glass gage shows about an inch and one-half of water. 
This is on the assumption that the boiler is level, and if 
not, allowance should be made accordingly. The water 
will run in faster if one of the gage-cocks, the blower or 
the whistle be opened to allow the air to escape. When 
coal is to be used as fuel, wood (if available) should be 
used to start the fire, the grates being kept w^ell covered 
until steam begins to show on the gage. If wood cannot 
be obtained for starting the fire, straw may be substituted. 
Then, if it be desired to hasten the rise of steam, the blower 
may be started and coal thrown onto the fire. 

Oiling the Bngine. While waiting for steam, the 
grease may be removed from the bright work with rags or 
cotton waste, saturated with benzine or kerosene. The oil 
holes and cups are usually filled with grease at the factory 
to keep out cinders and dirt during shipment of the engine. 
This grease should be removed and the oil holes care- 



FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW ENGINE II 

fully cleaned so that the oil may reach the place it is in- 
tended to lubricate. All the bearings should be oiled, the 
oil cups being filled with good machine oil or cylinder oil. 
Where the oil box is large enough, it should be filled 
with a little wool or cotton waste in order to keep out the 
dirt, and to retain the oil. Good cylinder oil must be used 
in the lubricator or oil pump. It is a good plan in start- 
ing a new engine, or one that has been idle for some time, 
to lubricate all bearings at first with a mixture of equal 
parts of kerosene and machine oil. The engine may be 
then run a few minutes and afterwards lubricated with un- 
thinned oil, but it should not be put to work until this has 
been done. 

Starting the Engine Proper. When the gage shows 
about forty pounds of steam, the cylinder cocks should be 
opened and the engine started, the throttle being opened 
gradually so that the water which has condensed and col- 
lected in the cylinder may have a chance to escape. The 
reverse lever should be handled as explained elsewhere in 
this book. If the engine does not start when the throttle 
is opened, possibly the governor stem has been screwed 
down sufficiently to shut off the steam. This sometimes 
occurs in transportation. As soon as the engine is run- 
ning, care should be taken to see that the oil-pump or lub- 
ricator is started properly. The bearings should be felt 
of to determine any tendency to heat. 

In starting the engine, it must be borne in mind that 



12 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSI^UL THRESHING 

the water in the boiler is sufficient for only a few minutes 
and the pump or injector must be started before the water 
gets low in the boiler. 

The steam pressure should now be raised to the blow- 
ing--off point (say 130, 140, or 160 pounds), to try the 
pop or safety valve. If it does not open at this pressure, 
pulling the lever will probably start it. If not, it is out of 
adjustment and should be re-set, as explained elsewhere 
in this book. 

Starting the Traction Parts. When the engine has 
been run a sufficient time to insure everything being in good 
running order (if it be a traction engine), preparations 
may be made for a trip on the road. To do this, the trun- 
nion-ring of the friction-clutch should be oiled and the 
shoes adjusted to properly engage the rim of the fly-wheel. 
Any paint that may be on the long hub of the arm should 
be scraped off to allov/ the free movement of the ring, which 
slides thereon, as the clutch is throvv^n in or out of engage- 
ment. All the traction gearing should now be lubricated, 
and a quantity of oil poured into the cannon-bearings. 
Next the stud of the intermediate gear, the bevel pinions 
of the differential gear, and the bearings of the steering- 
roller and hand-wheel shaft should be oiled. The steer- 
ing-chains should be properly adjusted as elsewhere ex- 
plained. 

Caution. A new engine should have close attention for 
the first few days until the bearings become smooth. The 



I^ITTING UP AND STARTING A NKW ENGINE 1 3 

engine has been run in the testing-room at the factory, and 
it is probable that the bearings are properly adjusted. 
However, they should be felt of at short intervals, and 
should one of them heat to any extent, it will be best to 
loosen it a little. The heating may be caused by grit. A 
fast speed should not be attempted the first two or three 
trips on the road, but the engine should be allowed to run 
below its normal speed until bearings are smooth and the 
operator becomes accustomed to handling the engine. In 
order to keep the valve and cylinder well lubricated, during 
the first few days it is necessary to use three or four pints 
of cylinder oil in ten hours, the quantity depending on the 
size of engine. Afterwards the amount may be lessened, 
but it is essential that cylinder oil be fed continually. 





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CHAPTER II 

THE FEED WATER 

THE feed water demands the constant watchfulness 
of the engineer. It is his first and most important 
duty to know that there is sufficient water in the 
boiler at ail times. If he relaxes his attention to it for even 
a short interval, disastrous results are likely to follow. A 
modern traction engine is usually fitted with two separate 
and independent means of feeding water to the boiler. 
By this arrangement, if the boiler feeder in use be disabled 
at any time, the other may be put to work without delay. 
These feeders should receive close attention and each be 
in condition to work at a moment's notice. If either 
fails to work properly at any time, it should be repaired 
immediately. It is essential to use the cleanest water 
obtainable, as dirty water always causes trouble. It is a 
good plan to strain the water as it passes into the mounted 
tank, by placing a cotton grain sack in the hole so that it 
extends to the bottom of the tank. For this purpose a 
cheap sack of coarse open texture is the best. The mouth 
of the bag can be turned over the rim around the hole and 
tied with a string or strap, but a better way is to have a 
hoop that just fits over the bag. It is important to see 

In 



1 6 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

that the suction hose and connections are free from leaks. 
The pipe nipples, which screw into the boiler at the point 
at which the feed water enters, should be examined oc- 
casionally, for with some waters they *'lime-up" in a 
remarkably short time. This accumulation of lime is 

shown in the accom- 
/ft:''- ; 'm; v^ ^— \: ^^^^^^^^^ ^M\. panying cut, which is 

tu t - r'^--^^' ' i / JIIJ/JI/ reproduced from a pipe 

^^::.;:v,„,.._i:s^ii^^^^^^^ nipple taken from a 

FIG. 3. LIME IN FEED tractiou euginc. When 

PIPE NIPPLE. necessary to shut down 

from lack of water, it should be done while the glass 
shows at least half an inch, as the water-level will fall 
that much when the engine is stopped, thereby allowing 
the water in the boiler to settle. 

What to do when zvater does not shozv in glass. If you 
find that the water has been allowed to get below the glass 
gage and lower gage cock, leaving the crown-sheet bare, 
when the engine has been standing still for a time, bank 
the fire and leave the engine alone until it cools. If it be 
working when 3^ou discover the water is out of the glass, 
the thing to do is, get the front end of the engine up at once. 
Back the traction wheels into ditch or furrow, run the front 
wheels up hill or onto a wood or coal pile, or use any means 
to get the front of the boiler high. If in soft ground there 
may be time to dig holes for the traction wheels, but be 
quick about it. In the meantime keep the engine moving 



THE FEED WATER 1 7 

in order to slosh the water over the crown-sheet. When 
you have the front end of the engine up, if water shows 
in the glass, start the injector and let it run until the boiler 
is filled to its normal level. If you are unable to get the 
engine in such a position that the water shows in the glass, 
cover the fire with a layer of ashes or earth three or four 
inches thick. Do not attempt to pull it out, as stirring it 
up creates intense heat. Having banked the fire, leave the 
engine alone until the steam goes down. By doing this, 
you have probably prevented the fusible plug from melt- 
ing, or, what is vastly more serious, burning the crown- 
sheet. A crown-sheet that has been burnt is greatly 
weakened, probably ''bagged" or warped, and the stay- 
bolts so strained at their threads that it is im.possible to 
keep them from leaking. The majority of explosions of 
boilers of the locomotive type are caused by low water 
and the consequent burning of the crown-sheet. One ex- 
perience with low water should be a sufficient lesson for 
all time. 

Since so much depends upon having sufficient water in 
the boiler, the gage-cocks and v/ater-glass, which indicate 
the amount of water, should be kept in first-class order. 

The Gage-Cocks. These cocks are a more reliable 
means of indicating the amount of water in the boiler than 
the water-glass, although not so convenient. The gage- 
cocks, or "try-cocks," as they are sometimes called, should 
be used often enough to prevent them from becoming filled 



l8 SCIENCE OP SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

with lime and should always be in working order. When- 
ever opened, the steam should be allowed to blow through 
a sufficient time to clean them. They should then be closed 
moderately tight, and then, if they leak, they should be 
opened again to allow any dirt or scale that may have 
lodged on the seat to blow out. It is not well to force a 
gage-cock or other valve shut to stop it from leaking, for 
probably it is leaking because a bit of scale is preventing 
the valve from ''seating." The forcing simply presses 
this bit of scale or other foreign matter into the seat and 
spoils the contact surfaces so the valve will continue to 
leak until reground. Gage-cocks and other valves on the 
engine should not be closed very tightly when cold, for 
when heated, the expansion of the metal will press the 
valve so tightly against its seat as to injure it. 

The Water-Gage. The water-gage should be blown 
out once each day, to clean the glass and prevent the upper 
and lower connections from getting filled with lime or 
sediment. To blow out the lower connection, which is the 
more liable to become clogged, open pet cock and close up- 
per valve. Then close lower valve and open upper one, 
which will blow steam through the upper connection and 
also the glass, thereby cleaning it. On returning to the 
engine in the morning, or after dinner, be sure that no one 
has closed the valves of the water-gage during your ab- 
sence. If this has been done, the glass might show plenty 
of water, while in reality, the water in the boiler has been 



THE I^EED WATER 19 

reduced to a low level by blowing off or by some other 
cause. A stoppage in the valves, or connections of the 
water gage, when the engine is running, can be detected 
by the water, which will appear quite still instead of mov- 
ing a little, because of the motion of the engine. The 
water glass should be kept clean, even if the other parts 
of the engine be neglected in this respect. A dirty glass 
indicates that the engineer is careless about one of his 
most important duties. The glass can be cleaned at any 
time by wiping the outside and blowing steam through the 
inside. It is only necessary, in wiping, to see that it is not 
scratched by sand, metal or the like, for scratches are 
likely to cause it to break. An old glass with a coating on 
the inside that steam will not blow out, may be cleaned by 
removing it from the connections and running a piece of 
waste or cloth through it with a stick. Touching a glass on 
the inside with a piece of metal of any kind is almost sure 
to scratch it so that it will crack when the steam is turned 
on. 

Packing the Water-Glass. The best method of pack- 
ing the water glass is by means of the rubber gaskets made 
for the purpose. These may be purchased for a few cents. 
Candle wicking, hemp or asbestos is sometimes used, but 
any one of these packings is liable to become displaced and 
cause trouble. The author has in mind a case in which a 
crown sheet was badly burnt because of the glass not show- 
ing the true level of the water in the boiler. The candle 



20 SCIENCE OE SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

wicking, with which it was packed, was forced, by the 
tightening of the packing-nut, over the lower end of the 
glass, practically shutting off the water. 

Broken Water-Glass. In case the water glass breaks 
when the boiler is under pressure, shut both valves to stop 
the escape of steam and water. The engine can be run by 
gage-cocks until a new glass may be obtained. If a new 
glass be at hand, it may be put in at once, but care should 
be taken to heat it gradually, for if the steam be turned on 
suddenly, it will break. 

Injectors. The injector has, of late years, reached 
such a state of perfection as to make it the most conven- 
ient of all the types of boiler feeders. Although economi- 
cal in itself, it does not equal, in ultimate economy, a pump 
used in connection with a heater. The question naturally 
arises : if it be economy to use a heater in connection with 
the pump, why not with the injector as well? Were the 
feed water from the injector piped through the heater, but 
little would be gained thereby, because the injector delivers 
water so hot, that it would absorb but little additional heat 
during its passage through the heater. Consequently, the 
pump, with heater, is the more economical because it util- 
izes heat from the engine exhaust (which would otherwise 
be wasted), to heat the water, while the injector heats it 
by means o{ live steam taken from the boiler. It is not 
usual, therefore, to pipe the feed water from an injector 
through a heater. 



THE ^tZD WATER 21 

To Start the ''Penberthy" Injector. With pressure 
under sixty-five pounds, the valve in the suction pipe should 
be opened one turn, the steam valve may then be opened 
wide. The injector will probably start off at once, but 
should water run from the overflow, the suction valve 
should be slowly throttled until it "picks up." If hot steam 
and v/ater issue from the overflow, the suction should be 
opened wider. A little practice will enable one to set the 
valve at any pressure, so that it is simply necessary to turn 
on the steam to start the injector. At a pressure of sixty- 
five pounds or over, the water supply valve may be opened 
wide, but it is better partly to close it, as the injector will 
deliver hotter water when the suppl}^ is throttled. The in- 
jector must be regulated by the suction valve, and not by 
attempting to regulate it by the steam valve. The "Pen- 
berthy" admits of considerable steam variation. At thir- 
ty-five pounds steam pressure, the valve in suction may be 
opened as wide as it will stand and steam can rise to over 
(^ne hundred pounds without further adjusting. 

What to do when the Injector Fails to Work, See that 
the suction hose and connections are tight. The delivery 
pipe may be "limed up" where it enters the boiler. A leaky 
check valve will keep the injector so hot as to prevent it 
from "picking up" water. Dirt may be lodged in the 
chamber where jets "R" and "S" meet, or in the jet 
"Y," the drill holes or the main passage way. The 
jets may be coated with lime, and if so, they should be 



22 



science: 0^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



steam: 



soaked in a solution composed of one part of muriatic 
acid and ten parts of water. Occasionally soak the whole 
injector. Do not expect an injector to work well, espe- 
cially at high pressure, if the tank be full of dirt and 
rubbish. Sometimes an injector will work well for a 

long time, and then begin 
to drizzle at the overflow 
under the same pressure at 
which it once worked well. 
This indicates that the 
passage-ways in jets are 
either worn or are con- 
tracted with lime. If re- 
moving the lime does not 
remedy the trouble, the 
overflow valve may leak. 
To regrind it, remove cap 
"Z" and spread a little 
flour of emery, mixed with 
oil or soap, between the 
valve "P" and its seat. 
Then with a screw driver, 
turn valve 'T" back and forth, which vv^ill grind it to a 
seat. If the injector be not improved, it is safe to conclude 
that some of the jets are worn and must be renewed. These 
are sold separately, and are listed in the thresherman's 
Supply Catalogs. If in doubt as to which jet is at fault, 




FIG. 4. 



SECTIONAL VIEW OF 
INJECTOR. 



The: feed water 23 

procure all of them and try one after another until the 
injector works properly. Any unused jets that have not 
been inserted may be returned. 

Independent Pumps. This is the name given to pumps 
for feeding a boiler, which are operated independently of 
the engine. They are, in fact, small engines in themselves, 
connected directly to double-acting pump plungers. An 
independent pump can be run whether the engine is run- 
ning or not, but as the heater is effective only when the en- 
gine is running, it is best, on boilers having both pump and 
injector, to use the injector when the engine is not running. 
The Marsh pump has an exhaust valve for turning the ex- 
haust of the pump in with the feed water. This, of course, 
heats the feed water and renders the pump more economi- 
cal. If, for any reason, it is desired to use the pump when 
the engine is not running, the exhaust should be turned in, 
in order to heat the water before it enters the boiler. At 
other times, however, we advise engineers to allow the 
pump to exhaust into the air. The most of the trouble 
with, these pumps is due to insufficient lubrication, and the 
successful operators use plenty of cylinder oil. If the ex- 
haust be turned in at all times, this cylinder oil is carried 
into the boiler where it accumulates, in some cases in suf- 
ficient quantities to render it dangerous to the plates of the 
boiler. Consequently, for this reason and also because the 
pump is more easily **kept up" when exhausting in the air, 
we do not advise turning the exhaust into the feed water. 



24 SCIENCE O:^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

Starting the ''Marsh" Pump. Before attaching the 
lubricator, it is a good plan to pour some cylinder oil into 
the pipe. To start the pump, first see that the valve in the 
feed pipe, between the check valve and the boiler, is open, 
and that t\i& exhaust lever is thrown towards the steam end 
of the pump. The steam may now be turned on, and if 
the piston rod does not move back and forth, tap the 
starter-pins very lightly. It is well to run the pump with- 
out water until thoroughly oiled, but as soon as it is run- 
ning smoothly, the suction-hose end may be submerged. 
Opening the cock with the thread for attaching the sprink- 
ling hose or the small air-cock in the water chamber will 
aid the piimp in "picking up" w^ater. 

When the Pump Will Not Start, i. If the pump 
does not start when steam is turned on, push the starter- 
pins alternately, to see if the valve moves easily back and 
forth. If the valve sticks, do not hammer the starter-pins 
or force them too hard, but remove the valve in order to 
locate the trouble. This is done by removing the steam 
chest heads through which the starter-pins pass, and un- 
screwing the valve, which is done by holding one end while 
unscrewing the other, by means of the two special socket 
wrenches furnished for the purpose. If the pump has 
been idle for a time, the valve may be rusty or gummy, in 
which case it should be cleaned with kerosene oil. Before 
replacing the caps, push the valve back and forth as far as 
it will go and see that it is perfectly free. Also see that 



THE FEED WATER 



25 



the starter-pins are free and have not become loosened or 
stuck by tight packing. Pull them out as far as they will 
go. 2. The steam pipe m.ay be obstructed so that the 
pump does not receive a sufficient supply of steam. 3. 
Remove the cylinder heads and see that the piston moves 
freely, and that the nut on the water end of the piston rod 
is properly tightened. This nut may have worked partly 



STEAM PIPE 




STiVRTER PIN 



^-^^v^Tm-Y^ / ■ 'ill \ ^ i^nn^-'^'-^r 
f^/^ 1 1 posr/M^A ' I fJ- - \ FOR t' ' ^^• 





' •• ' < "" '' — > i_r (■•• •< .' ., '« i ^ r^ f 

tT %J \ 1 4 ^ ^ / sucnoM pj>E 

OO N ^ fed I 



FIG. 5. SECTIONAL VIEW OF MARSH PUMP. 



or entirely off, thus preventing a complete stroke. 4. Re- 
move the steam chest and see that the small "trip" holes 
near the steam chest and the corresponding holes in the 
steam cylinder are open. If the pump has been idle for a 



26 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

time, these holes are liable to have become stopped with 
rust. Before replacing the steam chest, see that the pack- 
ing is in good order. 5. If the pump has been in use 
some time, or has not been sufficiently oiled, the valve may 
have become worn and leaky. This is not so likely to oc- 
cur on the "C" size, as on the smaller pumps. When it 
does happen, the remedy is a new valve and steam chest. 

When the Pump will not Lift Water. If the pump 
runs all right when steam is turned on, but will not "pick 
up" water, opening the drain cock in the boiler feed pipe 
will relieve the pressure on the discharge valves, i. See 
that the suction hose and its connections are free from leaks 
and that the screen is not covered with rags, waste, leaves 
or the like. If this hose has been in use for som.e time, see 
that it is sufficiently firm not to collapse or flatten, and that 
its rubber lining has not become loosened so as to choke 
or stop the water supply. 2. Remove the air chamber 
and look for dirt under the water valves. 3. If the pump 
has been in use for a time the water-piston packing may 
leak. Where dirty water is used, this packing must be 
frequently renewed. Directions for re-packing are given 
below. 

When the Pump almost stops after lifting water, the 
trouble is in the delivery or feed pipe. This may be proved 
by opening the cock in this pipe which will relieve the pres- 
sure and allow the pump to run faster. Possibly the angle 
valve near the boiler has been left closed. The check valve 



THE FEED WATER 27 

in the feed pipe should be examined, for which purpose the 
valve, between it and the boiler, can be closed. If nothing 
be found, the stem should be removed from the valve or the 
plug removed from the tee so as to expose the opening 
through the pipe nipple which enters the boiler ; probably 
this pipe will be found nearly filled with lime at the point 
at which it enters the boiler as shown in Fig. 3, on page 16. 
This may be cleaned by driving a bolt into it. Of course, 
the angle valve stem or plug can only be removed when the 
boiler is cold. 

Packing the Pump. The successful operation of this 
pump depends very much upon the manner in which the 
water piston and other parts are packed. In renewing the 
piston packing, do not compress it too much. See that it 
is of sufficient thickness to a little more than fill the space 
between the inner and outer follower heads. This will 
allow the packing to be compressed slightly before the fol- 
lower heads are forced together. On the other hand, if 
the space between the follower heads be not completely 
filled, leakage will result. When properly packed, the pis- 
ton may be readily moved by hand. The nut on the end 
of the piston rod should be tightened to bring the follower 
to place. The packing between the steam chest and the 
cylinder should be made of heavy manilla paper or light 
rubber, and must be patterned from the planed surface top 
of the steam cylinder (not the lower part of the chest), 
and all holes must be carefully duplicated, so that the drilled 



28 



SCIENCE O? SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 



holes at each end are wholly unobstructed at their points 
of register with the corresponding holes in the chest. The 
packing under the valve plate must be patterned from the 
faced top of water cylinder, and the packing over the valve 
plate from the bottom face of the air chamber. The steam 
cylinder head must not be packed with anything thicker 
than heavy paper or the thinnest rubber. If a thick gasket 
be used, the piston will overrun the ports, and its operation 
be interfered with. 

Check-Valves. A check-valve allows the water or 
other fluid to flow in one direction, by the valve rising 
from its seat, but when water attempts to "back up," or 

flow in the opposite direction, 
the valve prevents this b}' 
closing. With any style of 
boiler- feeder, a check- valve 
is placed in the feed-pipe, 
and usually near the boiler. 
Between the check-valve and 
boiler is placed a globe or an- 
gle valve which may be 
closed, allowing the check 
valve to be opened when the 
boiler is under steam pressure. If the pump or injector 
shows, by heat or other indications, that water and steam 
are "backing up" through the feed pipes from the boiler, 
it indicates that the check-valve is not acting. When the 




FIG. 6. SECTION OF CHECK VALVE. 



THE FKED WATER 29 

valve "sticks" and will not close, a very slight tap may 
cause it to ''seat," but if this does not, close the valve be- 
tween it and boiler, then take off the cap and remove dirt 
or scale that may be preventing it from closing tightly. If 
no foreign matter be found, examine the valve and seat to 
determine if the contact surfaces be perfect. If scale be 
found adhering to either, it should be removed, but if it be 
"pitted/' regrinding is necessary. Although a slight tap 
will often cause a check-valve to seat, it is poor practice to 
constantly or violently hammer the valve, as the seat may 
be distorted, and the entire valve ruined thereby. Many 
valves are also distorted and ruined because a wrench 
has been used on one end while screwing a pipe into the 
other. Many valves are burst during cold weather by 
frost. To prevent this, the angle valve near boiler must 
be closed and the check-valve and pipe drained. 

Regrinding Check-Valves. Many engineers discard 
leaky valves as worthless, in ignorance of the ease with 
which they may be re-ground. The swing check is easily 
re-ground without disconnecting it from the pipe. To re- 
grind, unscrew angle plug, put a little flour of emery, mixed 
with oil or soap, on the bottom of valve and turn it back 
and forth with a screw driver until the contact surfaces 
are perfect. 

Peed'Water Heaters. A feed-water heater heats the 
feed water delivered by the pump, by passing it over sur- 
faces heated with exhaust steam from the engine. In this 



30 science: 01^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

way, the feed water carries into the boiler the heat it has 
absorbed from the exhaust steam, which would otherwise 
be wasted. The interior of the "Case" heater with cast 
shell is shown in section in Fig. 7. Tubes (three or more 
in number), are tightly calked in the inner heads and inner 
pipes pass through the tubes, their ends being held in place 
by sockets cast on the outer heads. These heads are se- 
cured by four stud bolts, which screw into the heater body, 



.OUTER HEAD 

■INNER HEAD 



/ STEAM 
-^ „/'NN £f^HEAD HEATER SHELL } 

r \ -^ 

i } ' "inner PIPE ' "i OUTER TUBE 



EXHAUST . Br::r-T8 WATER TO 




^10 STACK 



C 



INNER PIPE I OUTER TUBE 




^DRAIN INNER HEAD / 
HOT WATER DRAIN- 
TO BOILER '■ QUTER HEAD' 
DRAIN 

FIG. 7. SECTIONAL VIEW OF "cASE" CAST-SHELL HEATER. 

and are made tight by gaskets. The exhaust from the en- 
gine enters the heater from the cylinder, surrounding the 
tubes, and passing out to the smoke stack at the opposite 
end as shown. The water from the pump enters through 
the head at the right and passes out at the other end into 
the pipe leading to the boiler. In going through the heater, 
the water is obliged to pass through the annular spaces 
formed by the inside of tubes and the outside of pipes, in 
films about one-eighth of an inch thick. 

Two cocks are screwed into the bottom of the heater, 
one of which drains the steam space and the other the 



THE FEED WATER 



31 



water space. The steam space may be drained before 
starting the engine, in order to prevent water from being 
thrown from the smoke-stack. Both water and steam 
space must be drained in cold weather, to prevent freezing. 
The "Case" steel-shell feed-water heater, as shown in 
Fig. 8, is constructed in the same manner as a small tubu- 
lar boiler. The tubes are expanded in the flanged heads 
at each end of heater. The exhaust inlet and outlet elbows 
are clamped tight against the ends of heater by a long bolt 




FIG. 8. SECTIONAL VIEW OF ' CASE STEEL-SHELL HEATER. 



(or bolts) passing from one to the other. The feed water 
surrounds the tubes and the exhaust steam passes through 
them. The hot water is discharged to the boiler on the un- 
der side of heater, but it is taken from the top, the water 
passing behind an annular flanged plate that leads it to the 
outlet. Only the pressure of exhaust steam is brought to 
bear against the packing joints. This form of heater has 
proved to be very efficient, and the interior is readily acces- 
sible by removing the exhaust inlet and outlet elbows. 



32 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

Testing and Repairing the Heater. If you suspect 
that the heater leaks, on engines with independent pumps, 
it may be tested as follows : First drain the exhaust space 
by opening the cock ; then start the pump, but let the engine 
stand still. If water continues to issue from this cock, it 
shows that the heater leaks. Repairs are easily made by 
removing the heads. The tubes in either style of heater 
may be tightened or renewed if necessary, in exactly the 
same manner as those in the boiler. 




CHAPTER III 

FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS 

{0 maintain a uniform steam pressure with any kind 
of fuel, the draft should be sufficient and the fire 
should be supplied with air from below. No cold 
air should be allowed to get to the tubes except by passing 
through live coals that may ignite fresh fuel. The cone 
screen in the stack should be straight and the exhaust noz- 
zle should be of the proper size and pointed straight with 
the stack. This latter is of great importance. 

The ash pan must not be allowed to fill up, or warped 
and melted grates are sure to result. There is no excuse 
for allowing the ash pan to fill up, and a good engineer 
never permits it to do so. With coal, wood or oil, the 
firing is done by the engineer, but with straw for fuel, it 
is usual to have an extra man or boy for this purpose. 

Hour to Fire zuith Coal. Keep the grates well covered, 
but with as thin a fire as possible. Do not throw in large 
lumps of coal or put in very much at a time. A thin fire 
lightly and frequently renewed is the most economical. 
The engine should be allowed to blow off once a day to see 
if the steam gage and pop valve agree, but if the pop valve 

3 33 



34 



science: of succe:ssi^ui. Threshing 



frequently opens, it is an indication that the fireman is 
either careless or unable to control his fire. 

The best way to check the rise of steam is to start the 
injector, but if the boiler be too full, the damper may be 
closed. Another way is to open the fire door about an 
inch, leaving the damper open, but the door should never 
be held open more than this amount. This will do no 
harm to tubes or boiler, but while the engine is running 
the door should never be opened when the damper is closed. 
When the engine is to be shut down for any length of time 
the smoke-box door may be opened to check the fire. 

Some grades of coal will form clinkers that cover the 
grates and shut off the air supply. These must be kept 
out by removing through the fire door, but do not use the 
poker when it can be avoided, or keep the door open longer 
than is necessary, since stirring the fire only makes matters 
worse. When troubled with clinkers, make it a point to 
clean the fire at noon or at any time the engine may be 
stopped. The tubes should be cleaned at least once a day. 

One or two of the bricks for straw burners can be used 
to advantage in burning coal. They make better combus- 
tion with poor coal, render the fire easier to control and by 
maintaining a more uniform heat in the fire-box, are easier 
on the boiler. 

How to Pire with Wood. The manner of firing with 
wood depends entirely upon the fuel, and must be learned 
by experience. When the wood is soft, or the sticks small 



I^IRING WITH VARIOUS I^UEI^S 35 

or crooked, it will be necessary to lay the pieces as com- 
pactly as possible, and keep the fire-box full all the time. 
Straight, heavy sticks of hardwood, on the other hand, 
must be placed so that the flames can pass freely between 
them. The rear draft door should be opened wide and the 
front one opened only enough to admit sufficient air. See 
that the front end of the grates (next to the tube sheet) is 
kept well covered. If cold air be allowed to pass through 
to the tubes at this point, the draft will be destroyed. To 
get satisfactory results, it is often necessary to cover the 
front end of the grates, for a space of eight inches, with a 
"dead-plate." A wood fire requires an occasional leveling, 
but as with coal it is a good plan not to use the poker more 
than is absolutely necessary. In leveling do not disturb 
the hot coals on the grates. In firing with wood it is ad- 
visable to keep the screen in the smoke-stack down, as there 
is more danger of throwing sparks with wood than with 
coal. 

How to Fire with Straw. At one time, the return- 
flue type of boiler was considered the only successful one 
for straw, but these are now almost obsolete and modern 
straw burning engines are all of the direct flue type. The 
Case straw burners are the same as the coal burners, except 
that they are fitted with straw grates, dead-plates, a brick 
arch and a straw chute and the boiler is lagged. ( See Fig. 
9.) Any Case engine, except the eighteen and thirty 
horse-power, can be made to burn straw by making these 
changes. 



36 



SCmNCi: Oi^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



When firing with straw, keep the chute full all the time, 
so that no cold air can get in on top of the fire. Take 
small forkfuls and let each bunch of straw push the preced- 
ing one into the fire. Occasionally turn the fork over and 
run it in below the straw in the chute to break down and 



WAGON TOP 



HAND HOLE- 




?E BOX 
SE HEAD 



FRONT 
DRAFT DOOR 



FIG. 9. SECTIONAL VIEW OF FIRE-BOX FOR BURNING STRAW. 

level up the fire. Three grates, spaced equally across the 
fire box, are better than more. Keep about fifteen inches 
of the front of the ash pan clean, to allow plenty of draft, 
but let ashes fill up in the rear part. Four bricks must be 
used. Keep rear draft door shut. 

The flame coming over the brick arch as seen through 



FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS 37 

the peep hole should appear white hot, and should be con- 
tinuous and not be stopped or checked each time the straw 
is pushed in, as will be the case if firing be too heavy or too 
much be put in at a time. Sometimes straw, especially 
when damp, is pulled over against the ends of the tubes. 
This may be scraped off with the poker, through the peep- 
hole. The tubes should be cleaned twice a day. 

The draft should be strong enough to make the fire 
burn freely and at a v/hite heat. It may be necessary to 
reduce the exhaust nozzle to get the proper draft, but it 
should never be reduced more than is necessary, as back 
pressure reduces the power of the engine. If unburnt 
straw be seen coming out of the smoke-stack, it shows that 
the exhaust nozzle is too small. Do not expect the engine 
to steam well when the front end of the boiler is low. The 
engine should be level or a little high in front. If the en- 
gine has been steamed up for some time without running, 
the screen in the smoke-stack may be so filled up as to seri- 
ously interfere with the draft. 

Brick Arch. For successful straw burning, it is im- 
portant that the brick arch be tight so that no air can pass 
through it, especial!}^ in front near the tube-sheet. It is 
best to close all the joints and crevices with fire-clay, if it 
is to be had, or if not, common clay may be used and it is a 
very good substitute, especially if it be mixed with salt 
water. Even common earth lasts very well if mixed with 
salt water. 



38 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



Peep Hole. All *'Case" boilers except the eighteen 
and thirty H. P. have an opening on the left side near the 
front of the fire-box known as the ''peep hole." This is 
used on straw-burning boilers to allow the operator to 




FIRE BOX 
TUBE HEAD 



FIG. 10. SECTIONAL VIEW OF FIRE-BOX FOR BURNING OIL. 

observe the flame passing over the brick arch and to re- 
move straw from the tube-ends in case it is drawn over the 
brick arch. As with the fire-door, the peep-hole should 
not be kept open longer than necessary. 

How to Fire with Oil. The ''Case" oil-burning engines 



FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS 39 

are similar to the ''straw-burners" except that only three 
of the arch bricks are used. The regular coal-burning 
grates are used, but in place of dead-plates, the forward 
two-thirds of the grate surface is covered with ordinary 
fire bricks. These are held in place by an angle-iron bolted 
to the grates. The fuel tank is mounted above the right- 
hand side of the barrel of the boiler directly in front of the 
fire-box. Its position above the boiler keeps the oil warm 
and insures a good flow to the nozzle when the heavier 
grades of oils are used. In firing with oil, the regular 
fire-door is left open or removed and a sheet-steel door sub- 
stituted, through which the burner slightly projects. When 
oil is used as fuel, the fire must be started in the same man- 
ner as for coal or straw, and it is necessary to have a pres- 
sure of about ten pounds to make the burner work properly. 
Unions are provided in order that the burner may be read- 
ily removed for starting the fire. Fig. lo shows how the 
burner or nozzle is piped and also the manner in which the 
bricks are placed in the fire-box so that no part of the boiler 
is exposed to the direct flame. 

Fuel Value of Wood. Ordinarily a cord of the best 
hard wood (as for example white oak) is equivalent to 
1500 pounds of bituminous or soft coal. However, there 
is considerable variation in even the hard woods, a cord of 
good red or black oak being equal to about 1350 pounds of 
coal, while on the other hand a cord of good hickory or 
hard maple, if used for fuel, would be nearly equal to a 



40 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

ton of coal. A cord of soft wood, such as dry poplar or 
pine, is equivalent to 800 or 900 pounds of coal. 

The heating value of the different kinds of wood fol- 
lows quite closely the differences in weight and a certain 
quantity of any kind of dry wood is about equal to 40 per 
cent, of its weight in coal, that is, 5000 pounds of dry wood 
is equal to a ton of coal. 

The above figures are for well seasoned sound wood. 
If green, a considerable part of the heat is lost in evaporat- 
ing the moisture in it ; or if rotten, the fuel value is but a 
small part of that of sound wood. 

Fuel Value of Straw. It takes from two and one-half 
to three tons of good dry straw, such as wheat, rye, oat or 
barley, to equal in heating value a ton of soft coal. Flax 
straw is rich in oil and therefore has the highest heating 
value of the various straws, but it takes more than two tons 
even of flax straw to equal a ton of coal. 

Fuel Value of Oil. As there is considerable variation 
in the quality of fuel oil as well as there is of coal, an exact 
relation cannot be established. However, for ordinary 
calculations, it is accurate enough to consider that 200 U. 
S. gallons of oil is equivalent to a ton of soft coal. This 
means that if oil can be purchased for 2^ cents per U. S. 
gallon it is as cheap as coal at five dollars per ton. 

Corn Cobs, Corn Cobs make a convenient fuel as they 
are easily handled. They make a hot fire and it is very 
easy to keep up steam with them. Their heating value is 



FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUEI.S 4I 

about the same as that of straw, consequently it takes about 
two and one-half tons to equal a ton of coal. 

Smoke Box. Any openings or holes in the smoke-box 
let in outside air and have a tendency to destroy the draft. 
The smoke-box door should fit tight and if broken, should 
be replaced with a new one or repaired in a substantial and 
workmanlike manner. 

Removing the Ashes. For each one hundred pounds of 
coal or an equivalent amount of other fuel, about 1500 
cubic feet of air is required to support combustion, that is, 
to allow the fire to burn. Nearly all of this large amount of 
air must pass through the draft doors into the ash-pan and 
thence through the grates. With this in mind, it is easy 
to appreciate the necessity of keeping the ashes out of the 
ash-pan so that they do not obstruct the passage of air. 
Furthermore, if allowed to accumulate so that they touch 
the grates, even at one point, the grates will be deprived of 
the cooling effect of the air and consequently be warped or 
melted so as to render them worthless in a very short time. 

Before removing hot ashes, see that there is no straw, 
dried grass or other highly inflammable substances on the 
ground where they will be likely to catch and spread fire 
dangerously. If these materials are present, be prepared 
to quench the fire, should they ignite, before it gets beyond 
control. 

Rocking-Grates. In order to shake the ashes from the 
grates v/hen firing with coal, without disturbing the hot 
coals, rocking-grates are sometimes used. The ''Case" 



42 



SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



rocking-grates are arranged so that all ashes, cinders and 
clinkers from a previous day's fire may be dumped into 
the ash-pan and the grates entirely cleaned for a fresh 
fire. However, while the engine is in operation, the lever 
is ordinarily moved back and forth only enough to jar the 
ashes through and not enough to dump the fire. Care 
should be taken to leave the lever in such a position that the 
grates form a flat surface, for otherwise the projecting 
edges may be burned off. 

Exhaust Nozzles. It is always best to use the largest 
nozzle that the fuel will allow. To be sure that you are 
doing this, try a larger one if you have never done so. In 
changing to another kind of fuel it is possible that the size 
of exhaust nozzle may be increased. Frequently the firing 
is made easier and burning of the fuel improved in every 
way by the use of a larger nozzle. Often in burning coal, 
the opening in the elbow is sufficiently small for the proper 
draft, without using either of the reducing nozzles. The 
reducing nozzles, being of brass, do not rust, and therefore 
may be readily changed at any time. 





LIST OF 


EXHAUST 


NOZZLES 


FOR case' 


ENGINES. 




Size of 


Exhaust 


Size of 


Large 


Size of 


Small 


Size of 


Engine 


Elbow 


Hole 


Nozzle 


Hole 


Nozzle 


Hole 


18 H. P 


A 716C 


VA" 


717C 


l%" 


771C 


1/8" 


30 H. P. 


A 716C 


VA" 


717C 


m" 


771C 


m" 


36 H. P. 


A 716C 


1/2" 


lOOlC 


m" 


717C 


IVa" 


45 H. P. 


A 714C 


m" 


715C 


1/2" 


753C 


i%" 


60 H. P. 


A 714C 


m" 


715C 


lA" 


753C 


i%" 


75 H. P. 


800C 


2%" 


873C 


m" 


816C 


1/2" 


110 H. P. 


1513C 


m" 


1528C 


2A" 


I527C 


2^" 




CHAPTER IV 

LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF 
BEARINGS 

EEP the bearings of the engine well oiled if you 
would have it last and not cause trouble. By 
"well oiled" is not meant that the whole engine 
should be **swimming" in oil, but that all of its bearings 
should be always lubricated. It does not take very much 
good oil to keep a bearing properly lubricated, but you 
should apply it often and be sure that it reaches the place 
intended. Many of the oils now on the market are largely 
adulterated with rosin and paraffine, and, though having 
an excellent appearance, have poor lubricating qualities, 
are gummy and dry up in a short time. The oil-boxes on 
the crank-shaft bearings, and wherever possible elsewhere, 
should be filled with wool or cotton waste to retain the oil 
and keep out sand and grit. The covers of these oil boxes 
should be kept closed. 

Many experienced operators use cylinder oil instead of 
machine oil for lubricating the various parts of the engine. 
Bearings will run cool with it when they cannot be made 
to do so with machine oil. Since it has considerable 
"body," it requires only about one-half as much of it as of 

43 



44 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 

the thinner oils, and therefore, its higher price is not nec- 
essarily an objection. Then, too, it is convenient to have 
but one kind of oil for the entire engine. 

Cylinder Lubrication. Use a good quality of Valve or 
Cylinder Oil in the lubricator or the oil-pump, as it is very 
important that the piston and valve should be well lubri- 
cated vi^ith an oil that v^ill stand the high temperatures of 
the steam. Do not imagine that cheap oil, no matter in 
what quantity, will do in the cylinder. Nothing but first- 
class cylinder oil will answer, and it must be used in suf- 
ficient quantities. 

An expert is often called to an engine because of the 
valve being "off" when the trouble is only poor cylinder 
lubrication. In the early days of the steam engine, tallow 
was generally used as a cylinder and valve lubricant. Ex- 
cept that it contains some acid, it was suitable for the pres- 
sures then used. However, tallow or ordinary machine oil 
will not do for the modern steam engine, as they volatilize 
and lose their lubricating properties at the high pressures 
and corresponding high temperatures now used. 

The cylinder oil for lubricating the cylinder and the 
valve should be introduced into the steam-pipe and if pos- 
sible in such a manner that the oil passes through the throt- 
tle and the governor, thus lubricating them. Cylinder oil 
is quite thick, especially in cold weather, and it is much 
easier to fill lubricators if the oil be warmed and the cups 
heated by blowing a little steam through them. A covered 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 45 

can containing a quart or so of cylinder oil should be kept 
on the boiler in cold weather so that it will always be heated 
and ready for use. 

Hard Oil has many qualities to recommend it. It stays 
on the bearing, and as it wears well, a little of it will go a 
long way. The usual method of applying hard oil is by 
means of compression cups, of which the one used on the 
cross-head is an example. Each time the engine is stopped, 
the cup should be turned to take up the ''slack" and force 
in a little grease. 

Approximate Cost of Oils. The price of oil varies so 
greatly that no specific figures can be given. However, it 
may be stated that good lubricating oil cannot be purchased 
in quantities of five or ten-gallon lots at less than twenty- 
five cents per gallon, while cylinder-oil, in like quantities, 
cannot be purchased ordinarily at less than sixty cents per 
gallon. These are minimum figures, and in localities where 
commodities in general are high, the retail prices of good 
oils may be twice as high as those quoted, or even more. 

The "Ideal" Spring Grease Cttp. This is a compres- 
sion cup in which the hard oil is forced out by a plunger 
pressed down by a spring. The action of the spring is 
limited by a thumb screw so that only the desired amount 
of grease will be fed. This cup is used on the crank-pin 
of all Case engines. To fill, raise the plunger by screwing 
down the thumb nut as far as it will go. Then remove the 
cap, fill the cup with grease and replace the cap. Unscrew- 



46 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 



THUMB NUT 



SPRING 



^ LOCKING 
SCREW 



•CAP 



ing the thumb nut will cause the spring to force some of 
the grease down to the journal. The size of the hole 
through the shank can be adjusted by the regulating screw, 

to feed the required 
amount of grease. The 
hole in the screw is in line 
with the slot in its head. 
If it be desired to stop the 
flow of grease, turn the 
thumb nut down to the cap 
which will relieve the 
spring of tension. If the 
plunger turns when screw- 
ing the thumb nut, it may 
be held by the knurled 
head of the screw. 



PLUNGER. 





" — ""^^ — — 
GREASE 
BODY I CHAMBER 



SHANK 



FIG. II. 



\ REGULATING 

\*- SCREW 



sectional view of 
'ideal'' cup. 



X 



'o Attach Oil Pump to ''Case'' Engines. The body 
of the pump is attached to the steam chest by a stud bolt, 
which is located one inch from the top of the chest, and one 
and three-quarter inches from the face of the chest cover 
flange. When the hole for the stud bolt is drilled it must 
be tapped so that the five-eighth inch stud bolt will screw 
in steam-tight. The rod for operating the ratchet may be 
attached to the rocker-arm of any "Case" simple engine. 
To locate the hole for the shoulder-bolt in the rocker-arm, 
measure five inches below the center of rocker-arm bearing, 
and one-half inch from the edge of the arm. This hole 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 47 




FIG. 12. OIL PUMP ATTACHED. 



should be three-eighths inch in diameter. Compounded 
engines (excepting the 75 H. P.), have a shde in place of 
the rocker-arm, and on these engines the ratchet-rod is at- 
tached to the eccentric- 
rod by means of a clamp 
provided for this pur- 
pose. On portable en- 
gines, the ratchet-rod 
must be attached to the 
valve slide, the three- 
eighth inch hole for the 
shoulder bolt being lo- M^- FOO^Q^^ 

cated two and one-half 
inches from the top and 
seven-eighths inch from the front edge of the slide. After 
the pump body is attached, the ratchet-rod may be placed 
in position, one end being on the shoulder bolt of the 
rocker-arm or clamp, and the other passing through the 
knuckle-joint on the sliding ratchet-arm. Having con- 
nected the ratchet-rod, screw the gravity check valve into 
the hole in the throttle, using a bushing to bring it to the 
right size. The soft one-quarter-inch tubing may be bent 
to bring its ends in proper position in order to make the 
connections at the unions. 

Instead of placing the oil pump on the steam chest, it 
rnay be attached to the cylinder flange of the engine frame. 
To do this, one of the studs must be replaced by another of 



48 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



sufficient length to take the lug on the bottom of the pump 
body. This avoids the necessity of boring a hole into the 
steam chest ; but in all cases, it is best to have the pump- 
body rest on the steam chest, for by this method, the oil is 
kept warm and fluid in cold weather. 

To Attach the ''Szviff' Lubricator. The lubricators 
have a little brass pipe extending beyond the shank as 
shown in the cut at H. This pipe discharges the oil and 
must extend into the interior of the steam-pipe or the lub- 
ricator will not work. If lost out or injured, it must be 
replaced. In case the lubricator does not work properly, 
examine this pipe. 

To Operate "Szvift" Lubricator. 
Close valves E and G, remove cap F 
and fill the oil reservoir full of oil to 
the very top. Replace cap F. The 
bright plate that shows the sight feed 
should be completely covered with oil. 
Now open valve E about one-half 
turn, then open valve G very care- 
fully and drops of water will com- 
mence to roll down over the bright 
plate; avoid opening too wide, as a 
stream could be run over the plate 
and the oil wasted. When the oil is 
nearly exhausted from the cup, water commences to show 
at the bottom of glass D, and gradually rises until it reaches 




FIG, 13. SWIFT 
LUBRICATOR. 



I^UBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 49 

the lower edge of the bright plate. The cup should then 
be refilled. To do this, close valves E and G, open the 
drain I and remove cap F, fill while draining; then close 
I when oil appears and proceed as above. When the en- 
gine is shut down, close valve G. 

When Lubricator Fails to Work. If the Lubricator 
should become clogged from impurities in the oil, remove 
cap F and glass D, then open valves G and E, and the 
passages will be cleaned by steam pressure. In blowing 
remove cap F and glass D, then open valves G and E, and 
the passages will be cleaned by steam pressure. In blow- 
ing live steam through the Lubricator to clean out the pas- 
sages, ahvays take off the nut D holding the sight feed glass 
before doing so, for if this be not done, the steam would 
heat the glass and render it liable to break when the oil 
comes in contact with it. Many cups are ruined by two 
causes, viz. : by freezing and by straining. In cold weather 
the cups should be drained before leaving the engine. The 
valve E should be slightly opened, except when filling, for 
if left closed, the expansion of cold oil having no relief will 
strain the cup. 

The little bright plate that shows the sight feed drops 
should be. kept clean and bright by an occasional wiping 
with a little silver polish ; if this be not done, it becomes 
tarnished and does not show the feed properly. When a 
glass breaks, if an extra one be not at hand, a coin may be 
put in and the cup run "blind feed" until a new one is pro- 

4 



50 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSEUL THRESHING 

cured. A five-cent piece Is the right size for the lubricator 
ordinarily used on the pump and a quarter for the larger 
sizes. 

Packing the Lubricator. The nut that holds the sight- 
feed glass must not be screwed up too tightly. If screwing 
up moderately tight does not stop leakage, put in new gas- 
kets on both sides of the glass. In repacking the sight- 
feed glass, first remove every particle of the old packing. 
Two kinds of gaskets are furnished. Put a soft rubber 
one next to the glass on both sides and a red fiber one next 
to the nut. Usually this nut can be screwed up with the 
fingers tight enough to prevent leaking. The valve stems 
may be packed with Italian hemp or candle wicking. 

Adjustment of Engine Bearings. In adjusting the 
bearings of the engine, take up just a little of the lost 
motion at a time, until the pounding is stopped. Do not 
attempt to take it all out at once, for in so doing there is 
risk of heating and cutting. The young engineer often 
finds it difficult to locate a "pound" in an engine, but an 
experienced man can usually tell where it is by taking hold 
of the connecting-rod or eccentric-rod as the engine runs. 
A good plan, and one that will often show where the 
trouble lies, is to have a man take hold of the fly-wheel and 
turn it an inch or so back and forth. By watching the 
crank-box, cross-head, main bearings and the reverse, any 
lost motion can be seen. 

The Connecting-Rod Brasses are adjusted by loosening 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT 01^ BEARINGS 5 1 

the jam nut at the bottom and turning the head of the bolt, 
which will raise the wedge, and crowd the two halves of 
the box together. The proper adjustment may be made 
by drawing up the wedge a little at a time, trying it each 
time by moving the rod sideways on the crank pin with the 
hand until tight ; then back off the bolt a trifle. Another 
very satisfactory method is to tighten the bolt until it firmly 
resists further tightening and then loosen it a known 
amount, which should be about one-third of a turn. 




FIG. 14. THE CONNECTING-ROD. 

When the halves of the brasses touch, they must be 
taken out and filed. To take out the brasses for filing, 
remove the connecting rod in the following manner : Turn 
the engine so that the cross-head pin comes opposite the 
hole in the engine frame nearest the crank. Take off the 
washer on the crank pin and remove the grease cup and 
the nut from the cross-head pin. Drive the cross-head pin 
out with a wood block, turn the engine on rear dead center, 
and the connecting-rod may be lifted off. Set the wedges 
down as far as they will go, and take out the adjusting 
bolts. The wedge and half of the box next to it may be 
driven out from the inner side with a wood block. Before 



52 science: of successfuIv threshing 

taking off the connecting-rod, make a scratch across the 
wedges and the rod end, so that in putting them back the 
wedge may be set in the same position as before. 

As the pressure is nearly all endwise on the rod, the 
holes in the brasses will tend to wear in an oval shape, so 
that when the boxes are tightened, they will bind at the top 
and bottom, causing them to heat, while they still pound 
endwise. To obviate this difficulty, the boxes should be 
"relieved" at the top and bottom by filing with a half- 
round file. They should not touch the pin for a distance 
of one-half to three-quarters of an inch each side of the 
joint. In time, the brasses will have worn so much that 
the wedge strikes against the top. Shims made of sheet- 
iron of the proper thickness must now be inserted. These 
should be put in on both sides of the brasses so as to not 
change the length of the rod, which would make it neces- 
sary to re-divide the clearance. 

It is best to take off the connecting-rod when the en- 
gine is cold; if it be taken off when the boiler is under 
steam pressure, and the throttle should accidentally be left 
open, or should leak, the piston may be driven through the 
cylinder with force enough to do serious damage. 

The Shoes of the Cross-Head are adjusted by loosen- 
ing the four cap screws, (E), and screwing up the four set 
screws, (F), to force the shoes against the guides. This 
will leave a space between the shoes and cross-head into 
which sheet-iron shims should be inserted. If these shims 
be of the right thickness to just fill the space, loosening the 



IvUBRICATlON AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 53 

set-screws and tightening the cap-screws will leave the 
shoes free to run and with no lost motion. When the en- 
gine runs "under," as in threshing, the wear is mostly on 




FIG. 15. THE CROSS-HEAD. 

the upper shoe and guide, and when engine runs ''over," 
as on the road, the wear is nearly all on the lower shoe and 
guide. Usually the wxar being nearly the same on both, 
they should be set out equally. The wear is slightly 
greater at crank end of guides and if the shoes are adjusted 
so cross-head is free at cylinder end, it will not be too tight 
at the other end. 

The Eccentric Strap is tightened by removing the paper 
liners. When these are all removed and the halves come 
together, they should be taken to a machine shop and a 
little planed off. The eccentric-strap must be well lubri- 
cated at all times, preferably with cylinder oil. The eccen- 
tric rod brasses and valve-rod brasses on engines having 



54 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSEUIv THRESHING 

rocker-arms are taken up by driving down the wedges or 
keys. 

The Mam Bearings are adjusted by removing paper 
liners. Take out only a little at a time. If one of the 
bearings heats and does not cool when the nuts are loos- 
ened, remove the cap and clean out any grit or dirt that 
may be found. If the babbitt be rough and torn up, it 
should be scraped smooth. It is well to "relieve" the main 
bearings a little at their edges, as explained for the con- 
necting-rod brasses. When paper liners have all been re- 
moved, and the shaft has lost motion, the boxes will require 
re-babbitting. 

Babbitting Main Frame Bearing. No one but a good 
mechanic skilled in this work should undertake to babbitt 
the main bearings. The difficulty lies in obtaining the 
alignment, which must be perfect, before the babbitt is 
poured. The babbitt should be of the best quality. 

First, remove the cylinder-head, piston and piston-rod, 
connecting-rod and cross-head. Run a line (a fine wire is 
best) through the piston-rod stuffing-box and fasten it by 
any convenient means to a point in the rear of the crank- 
disc and to a point in front of the cylinder. In the latter 
case, a piece of wood may be bolted to the cylinder by one 
of the stud-bolts which hold the cylinder head in place. 
With a pair of inside calipers, the distance from the line 
should be carefully measured at both ends of the cylinder, 
at the stuffing-box and at the guides to insure its being 
exactly central with the cylinder in all directions. Meas- 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 55 

urements may now be made from the line to the crank- 
disc and pin, in order to determine how much, if any, the 
shaft has been out of hne. By doing this before the old 
babbitt is disturbed, you will be able to tell later just how 
much the shaft must be moved in order to correct the 
alignment. When this has been done, the shaft must be 
taken out and the old babbitt removed from the box and 
all grease and dirt or metal, etc., cleaned from it. When 
the box is properly cleaned, replace the shaft, letting the 
disc end rest on blocks, one or two of vv^hich should be 
wedge-shape so that the shaft may conveniently be raised 
or lowered. The shaft should now be brought to the 
proper height so that its center is exactly on a level with the 
line. Now, by carefully measuring to the line, the shaft 
should be moved forward or rearward until the front and 
rear portions of the crank-disc rim are exactly the same 
distance from the line. When this is accomplished, the 
crank-shaft will be at right angles to the bore of the cylin- 
der and the shaft will be in its proper position "fore and 
aft." The shaft should now be moved along its axis until 
the crank-pin is divided into two equal parts by the line. 
All of the measurements should be made very carefully 
and accurately, and verified two or three times. The bab- 
bitt should be of the best quality- — Case grade "A" being 
suitable. 

Both halves of the bearing can be run at the same time, 
or the halves run separately as preferred. It is usually 
best to pour the lower half first. The lower edge must be 



56 science: of successful threshing 

made tight with a piece of sheet-iron touching the shaft. 
This may be held by means of the bolts which secure the 
cap. Putty should then be used to make the ends and all, 
tight against leakage, but the babbitt must be allowed to 
run against the hub of the disc in order that end-play of 
the shaft may be prevented. An opening in the form of 
a funnel of putty should be made at each end of the box at 
the top. The babbitt may be poured through the larger 
of these while the one at the other end of the box allows 
the air to escape. After the lower-half and cap of bearing 
have been poured, the shaft should be removed so that the 
babbitt may be examined, oil-holes opened, oil-grooves cut 
and the babbitt scraped if necessary to properly fit the 
shaft. It is usually best to relieve the bearing as explained 
elsewhere. 

To Babbitt Upper Cannon Bearing. Jack up right- 
hand side of boiler, and block under tank or platform 
frame. Remove right-hand traction- 
wheel; take pin out of collar and pull 
off right-hand counter-shaft pinion; 
then the differential spur-gear and cen- 
ter-wheel. Drive out key and remove 
FIG. 16. "^ the left-hand counter-shaft pinion. Pull 
BOARD A. Q^^ ^i^g counter-shaft, and remove can- 

non-bearing after slipping off links. 

Chip out all old babbitt, and remove any grease or grit 
that may adhere to the casting. Fill the key-way in the 




LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS 5/ 



shaft with putty or clay and wrap the shaft at the bearings 
with two or three thicknesses of common newspaper 
smeared with cylinder oil. 

Cover the outside of the paper 
with a good thick coating of 
cylinder oil to prevent the bab- 
bitt from cling-inp- to the shaft. 

Make two boards similar to 
Fig. 1 6 to hold the shaft central 
in bearing while babbitting. The 
holes in the boards are made the 
size of the shaft and the three 
blocks are nailed to the board 
with ends on a circle to fit the 
outside turned part of the can- 
non-bearing. Put one board 
''A" on shaft next to bevel-gear ; 
then put bearing on shaft, and 
the other board "A" on the 
other end. Drive wooden plugs 
through oil-holes until they 
strike shaft. Set shaft and all 
on end as shov/n in Fig. 17. 
Make cup "B" of putty or clay 
at opening in side of casting to 
pour babbitt in ; also fill all around ends at ''C" with putty 
or clay to keep babbitt from running out. 

Heat babbitt just hot enough to run freely, and pour in 




FIG. 17. CANNON-BEARING IN 
POSITION FOR BABBITTING. 



S8 



science: of successful threshing 



cup **B." Turn shaft and bearing end for end and repeat 
the operation as above. Remove the shaft ; chip oil-grooves 
in upper side of bearing and see that oil-holes are open. 
The bearing is now ready to put in place on the engine 
again. 




< 30000 00 0000 oooooooooooooooooooood oooooooooooocooo 



ooooooood oooooooooooooocuoooocooooooooo ' 



-w 



-t^ 



ooooooonooyoooooQOOooQCOocK?ocoooooeooooooooogcooooooooocoooo oo"' PooPQOoo' ?og90 0gnOg?° 






CHAPTER V 

HANDLING THE ENGINE 

EFORE starting the engine always see that the cyl- 
inder cocks are open. Then if the crank pin be in 
the right position (that is, past the dead center in 
the direction in which the engine is to run), open the throt- 
tle just enough so the crank pin will pass the next center. 
After a few revolutions, gradually increase the throttle 
opening until the governor controls the speed. If the 
crank pin be not in the right position to start, take the 
throttle-lever in one hand and the reverse lever in the other. 
Admit a little steam into the cylinder, reverse, and then 
before the engine can pass that center throw the reverse 
lever back, and the engine will start. Occasionally an 
engine will stop on the exact dead-center, and when this 
occurs it is necessary to turn it off by taking hold of the 
fly-wheel. If on the road, releasing the friction clutch 
will generally allow the engine to start because the strain 
on the gearing is released. 

Never start the engine suddenly. Take sufficient time 
to allow the water in the cylinder to escape through the 
cylinder-cocks instead of forcing it through the exhaust. 
If the engine be working in the belt, a sudden start is very 

59 



6o scie^nce: op^ successfui. Threshing 

liable to throw off the main belt; if traveling, a sudden 
start throws unnecessary strain on the gearing and the 
connections between the engine and its load. When the 
engine has been running a sufficient time to allow any 
water that may be in the cylinder to escape, cylinder-cocks 
may be closed. When the engine is at work leave the 
throttle wide open, allowing the governor to control the 
speed. 

An engine provided with a friction clutch is much 
easier handled when traveling than one without, but the 
clutch is seldom used by a good engineer. If used con- 
tinually it requires attention to keep it adjusted. 

Steering. An engine cannot be properly guided unless 
the steering-chains are correctly adjusted. If too tight 
they cause the steering-wheel to turn hard, while if too 
loose, the guiding is much more difficult and the control 
uncertain. The chains are properly adjusted when one 
turn of the steering-wheel takes up the slack. A weak 
steering-chain is dangerous and if one has been broken by 
running into something, or from any other cause, it should 
not be allowed to go indefinitely, temporarily repaired 
with a bolt or piece of wire, but should be fixed so that it 
is as strong as ever. 

In guiding an engine many make the mistake of turn- 
ing the steering-wheel too much. It is well to remember 
that a turn in one direction always means a turn in the op- 
posite direction. Theoretically, the engine would follow 



HANDLING THK ENGINE 6l 

a smooth straight road without turning the wheel at all, 
but in practice it is always necessary to turn it a little. It 
is important to keep your eye on the front wheels of the 
engine. 

Setting the Engine. A little practice is necessary to 
enable the operator to quickly line and set the engine, but 
this is acquired by most men in time. On a calm day the 
engine and the separator should be *'dead in line," that is, 
in such a position that a line drawn through the edges of 
the fly-wheel rim vvould pass through the edge of the sep- 
arator cylinder-pulley rim on the same side, and a line 
drawn through the edges of the cylinder-pulley rim would 
pass through the edge of the fly-wheel rim on the same 
side. 

When threshing on a windy day, the drive belt should 
be crossed so the slack side will be toward the direction 
from which the wind is coming. When crossed in this 
way, the pulling side (that is, the one going to the bottom 
of the engine fly-wheel) will support the slack side and in 
a measure prevent it from being carried out of line by the 
wind. Allowance for the wind must be made, a heavy 
side wind requiring a setting of the engine sometimes as 
much as two feet out of line. When the rig has been set 
during a calm and a wind comes up, it is not necessary to 
stop, throw the belt and reset the engine in order to make 
the belt run on the pulley. Take a screw-jack or lifting- 
jack, set it obliquely under the front axle of the engine 
and move it in the direction the wind is blowing until the 



62 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

belt runs properly on the fly-wheel. Move the front end 
of the separator in the same manner until the belt runs 
properly on the cylinder pulley. If trouble be experienced 
in getting the engine in line, this method may be used to 
correct the alignment until practice enables the operator 
to set the engine so that the belt will run in the center of 
both pulleys. This "jacking over" of the front of the 
engine or of the separator should be done while the belt 
is running. The friction-clutch should always be used 
in tightening and in backing the engine into the belt. 

'Ascending Hills. In coming to a steep hill the engi- 
neer should see that he has about the right amount of water 
in the boiler, that is, enough to show about two inches in 
the glass when the boiler is level. With the boiler too full 
there may be danger of priming, which should be espec- 
ially avoided on a hill. It is also necessary to exercise 
judgment in regard to the fire. It should be hot enough 
to insure sufficient steam pressure to climb the hill without 
stopping. On the contrary, the engine should not be al- 
lowed to blow off wdien pulling hard on a hill, as this is 
liable to cause priming, necessitating stopping. In short, 
when approaching a steep hill, prepare for it so that you 
know you can ascend without stopping. In ascending a 
hill, avoid running fast, as a moderate rate of speed gives 
best results. If the engine shows a tendency to prime, 
the speed should be limited by means of the throttle so 
that the engine may run just fast enough to pass its dead- 
centers. 



HANDING THE ENGINE 63 

Descending Hills. Important as it is to ascend the 
hill without stopping, it is doubly important in descending 
to reach level ground before stopping. Every man in 
charge of a boiler of the locomotive type should know the 
danger of stopping with the front end low. In descend- 
ing a very steep hill leave the throttle partly open to admit 
a little steam and if the engine runs too fast control the 
speed with reverse lever. 

Gravel Hills. In going up steep gravel hills there is 
danger of breaking through the surface crust, thereby 
letting the traction wheels into the soft gravel, which they 
will push out from under them, simply digging holes in- 
stead of propelling the engine. When this occurs, stop 
at once, before the engine buries itself. Block the wheels 
of the separator, or other load behind the engine and un- 
couple and it will probably move out all right. If it does 
not, put cordwood sticks in front of the traction wheels 
so that the grouters will catch. Another method is to 
hitch a team and start the team and engine together. 

Mud Holes. The statements regarding gravel hills 
apply in general to soft mud holes. Stop the engine when 
the wheels slip, and put straw, brush, stones, sticks or any- 
thing else that may be handy in front of the wheels so that 
the grouters can take hold of something. When the en- 
gine is on a "greasy" road where the wheels slip without 
digging much, get a couple of men to help roll the front 
wheels and you will be surprised how much good this does. 



64 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

With one traction wheel in a greasy mud hole or old 
stack bottom, and the other on solid ground, the differen- 
tial gear may be locked, but unless you understand the con- 
sequences of doing this, as elsewhere explained in this 
book, it will be better to get out some other way. 

The Use of a Cable. It is a good plan to carry a wire 
cable or heavy rope with the outfit. Then when the en- 
gine stalls, it can be uncoupled and run onto solid ground 
where it can pull its load out of the hole by the long hitch, 
and then be coupled up short again. A cable or rope is 
elastic and therefore better than a chain, which is liable 
to snap with the shock of starting the load. Where a rope 
is used, it should have a ring spliced in one end. The 
other end may be tied into a shackle or clevis on the engine 
draw-bar in a "bow-line" knot, which will not slip and is 
easily untied after being strained. A rope used in this 
way has the advantage of being adjustable as to length. 
If a chain be used the engine must be moved very slowly, 
by means of the friction clutch, until all the slack is out of 
the chain. 

Special High Grouters. Engines for Louisiana, and 
other swampy localities, are usually fitted with pressed- 
steel grouters or "mud-hooks," as they are called, which 
bolt to the traction wheels, in addition to the regular 
grouters. These are about five inches high and conse- 
quently must be taken off before crossing bridges. (They 
are furnished at an additional price.) 



CHAPTER VI 



THE ENGINE PROPER 




HE term "traction engine" commonly includes, not 
only what is strictly speaking, the engine, but the 
boiler and traction parts as well. In this book, 
the term "engine proper" will be used to designate those 
parts which are actually concerned in converting the en- 
ergy of steam into rotary motion. The boiler changes 



REVERSE LEVER 
CLUTCH LEVER. 
THROTTLE LEVER 




FIG. l8. SIDE ELEVATION OF ENGINE PROPER. 

v:ater into steam by adding to it, heat, taken from the fuel. 

The engine proper consumes steam and delivers motion. 

The Cylinder. It is in the cylinder that the actual 



66 



SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESS:^UIv THRESHING 



change of heat into motion takes place. Here the steam 
is alternately admitted on opposite sides of a piston, which 
is driven back and forth, thereby. This reciprocating mo- 
tion of the piston is changed into the rotary motion of the 
shaft, by the crank and connecting rod. The admission 
of steam to the cylinder is controlled by the "slide-valve," 
which slides upon a planed surface, called the "valve-seat," 




FIG. 19. SECTIONAL VIEW OF SIMPLE CYLINDER. 

in a chamber, called the "steam-chest," which is adjacent 
to the cylinder. Passages, called "ports," lead from the 
valve seat to the ends of the cylinder and to the outside 
air, called the "exhaust." The valve alternately uncovers 
the ports and allows the steam in the chest to flow into the 



thk engine proper ^7 

ends of the cylinder. The underside of the valve is cham- 
bered in such a manner that when the piston is being driven 
away from one end of the cylinder, this chamber connects 
the steam port of the opposite end with the exhaust port, 
and allows the steam to flow through the exhaust pipe into 
the air. The valve does not admit steam to the cylinder 
during a complete stroke of the piston, but only during a 
part, which is known as "admission." When the piston 
has traveled a certain distance, the valve closes the port, 
shutting off the steam, at what is called the point of "cut- 
off." Since steam is elastic, it continues to act, with grad- 
ually decreasing pressure, upon the piston until the end of 
the stroke is reached. This part of the stroke and action 
of the steam is known as "expansion." In the same man- 
ner in which the admission of live steam is stopped before 
the piston completes its outward stroke, the exhaust is 
closed shortly before the return stroke is completed. The 
steam caught between the piston and the end of the cylin- 
der is compressed as the piston nears the end, raising the 
pressure of the steam and forming what is called the "cush- 
ion." The part of the stroke after the exhaust has closed 
is called "compression." The steam is carried from the 
boiler to the steam chest by means of the steam pipe, in 
which the throttle and governor are located. 

Wide End of Valve. Sometimes the widths between 
the outside edges and the exhaust chamber edges of the 
valve are different for the two ends of the valve. The ob- 



68 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIy THRESHING 

ject of making the valve in this way is to equalize com- 
pression. Such a valve should be put in with the wide 
end toward the rear or crank-end of cylinder. 

The Piston. The piston is always a little smaller than 
the inside diameter of the cylinder. It is made steam 
tight, however, by rings which are fitted into grooves on 
its circumference. These rings are originally made 
slightly larger than the bore of the cylinder, and are after- 
ward cut apart, so that they may be compressed sufficiently 
to enter the cylinder. This gives them some tension so 
that they fit the inside of the cylinder closely, thus pre- 
venting leakage of the steam. The cylinder is bored 
slightly larger at the ends — "counter-bored" as it is called. 
This is done to guard against the wearing of a shoulder, 
at the points, near each end of the cylinder, at which the 
outer edge of the piston ring stops. The forming of such 
a shoulder (which would cause the engine to pound), is 
prevented by allowing part of the ring to pass into the 
counter-bore. The entire width of the ring must not be 
permitted to enter the counter-bore, however, or the ring 
would expand and catch against the shoulder. 

To Divide the Clearance. The clearance of an engine 
is the cubical contents of the port, from the face of the 
valve to the cylinder, including the space between the pis- 
ton and the cylinder head when the engine is on dead-cen- 
ter. To divide the clearance, loosen the clamp bolt and 
the jam nut on the piston rod and unscrew the rod from the 



thk engine proper 69 

cross-head until the piston just strikes the cylinder-head 
as the crank passes the head dead-center ; then screw in the 
rod until the piston just strikes the other cylinder-head 
as the engine passes the other dead-center carefully count- 
ing the number of turns of the rod. Now unscrew the rod 
half the number of turns counted and the clearance will 
be divided. Tighten the clamp bolt and the jam nut. 

Packing Piston-Rod and Valve-Rod. A suitable 
packing for this purpose is the kind known as "gum-core" 
which is round in section and has a rubber center with a 
woven fabric covering. There are many other kinds of 
good packing on the market. Italian hemp (which comes 
in the form of a rope), candle wicking and similar pack- 
ings can be used, but a rod stuffing-box packed with them 
requires continual attention, whereas if packed with "gum- 
core" or other good packings it will often run a whole 
season without re-packing. 

Packing Cylinder-Head and Steam-Chest Cover. Usu- 
ally sheet asbestos is used for the gaskets under steam- 
chest cover, cylinder-head, governor-base flange and other 
similar steam joints. There are some sheet-rubber pack- 
ings that are very good. Many engine-men do not know 
that a sheet-asbestos gasket when broken in separating 
the parts, even when a portion adheres on one side and the 
rest on the other, will hold tight providing that the pieces 
of the gasket go back in exactly the same position as be- 
fore. With either rubber or asbestos sheet packing, if 



70 science: of successi^uIv threshing 

one side be coated with graphite when first put on, the 
joint may be opened several times, and as the gasket will 
adhere to one side only, it will remain undisturbed and will 
not require renewing. In emergencies when no good 
packing is at hand, a leaky joint can be remedied in vari- 
ous ways. If small pieces of the packing blow out, the 
leakages can be plugged temporarily by soft wooden 
wedges. A gasket may be made of a piece of grain bag 
smeared with paint or cylinder oil. Common straw- 
board, or even a few thicknesses of newspaper, also an- 
swers very well as a gasket under steam-chest cover, cyl- 
inder-head or the like if the bolts be kept well tightened 
for the first day or two. A soft copper wire about i-8 
inch in diameter will also answer the purpose, when placed 
around the joint to be packed, inside of the bolts, and the 
ends joined carefully. 

Packing Valve-Stems. For packing the stems of 
globe and angle valves, the water-glass connections, throt- 
tle-stem and similar places, asbestos wicking (which comes 
in balls) is the most suitable. For valves that are not 
subjected to steam-pressure and are therefore never heated, 
cotton candle wicking or hemp will do nicely. 

The Crank-Pin and Disc. The crank-pin of an engine 
will quickly heat if keyed up too tightly or if the grease- 
cup which lubricates it is allowed to get empty. The 
crank-pin is forced into the disc with a pressure of several 
tons and will never get loose unless possibly by the pin 



THK ENGINE PROPER 71 

getting hot and causing the brasses to set tight on the pin. 
When this occurs, the connecting-rod exerts a powerful 
tendency to twist the pin in the disc. 

The crank-disc on Case engines is pressed onto the 
shaft with a pressure of fifteen tons or more, and the key 
is then driven in. It will be seen that, owing to this pre- 
caution in securing it, the disc is not liable to get loose, and 
in fact the only strain that can possibly loosen it is the 
enormous one produced when an engine is started suddenly 
without allowing the water in the cylinder to escape. 
Sometimes operators think the disc is loose when it is not. 
They are deceived by the appearance of oil at the end of 
the shaft which may have seeped through along the sides 
of the key, or by the fact that the disc appears to "wobble." 
The appearance of oil does not indicate looseness and the 
apparent wobbling may be due to end-play of the shaft. 

The Throttle. The throttle controls the flow of steam 
from the boiler to the steam chest. It should be left open 
after the engine is started, allowing the governor to con- 
trol the speed. The only exception to this rule is when 
the engine is working hard, as when traveling up a hill, 
with its boiler showing a tendency to prime. In this case, 
the engine should be made to run very slowly by means 
of the throttle. The skill with which some operators 
handle the throttle enables them to drive an engine up a 
hill which one less skilled could not make the engine climb. 
This applies principally to localities in which the water is 



72 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 



SO bad that it makes all boilers liable to prime. The throt- 
tle should be drained in cold weather to prevent damage 
by frost. 

Leaky Throttles. If the throttle is leaky, see that 
the valve is put in so that the steam pressure holds it 
against the seat v^hen closed. Arrows are placed on the 
body casting and on the valve itself, indicating the direc- 
tion of the flow of steam to aid in putting in the valve 
correctly. Leakage may be the result of a sprung valve- 
body or valve, or both, occasioned by freezing or other 
causes. The valve itself may have become twisted by 
someone trying to open the throttle when it was stuck by 
frost. Leaks can usually be remedied by taking out the 

valve and filing it on the high places 
shown by the contact. Use a very 
fine file and bear lightly, or use emery 
cloth. File off but little before try- 
ing the valve for leakage. A second 
filing will usually be found to suffice. 
The Governor. The speed of the 
steam threshing-engine is controlled 
by a governor, which *'throttles" or 
limits the amount of steam admitted 
to the cylinder. The essential parts 
of a "throttling" governor consist of 
balls which tend to fly apart by centrifugal action, which 
movement is transmitted to the valve and partly closes it. 




FIG. 20. GOVERNOR. 



THE ENGINE PROPER 73 

The outward movement of the balls is resisted by springs. 
A perspective view of a governor is shown in Fig. 20, and 
a sectional view of the valve-body in Fig. 21. The valve 
connection to the stem has no play endwise, but is flexible, 
thus allowing the valve to align itself by its seat. 

Speed of Bngine. To increase the speed of the engine, 
loosen the check nut at the top of the Waters governor and 
turn the screw up. To decrease the speed, screw it down. 
Be sure to set the check nut tight after altering. 

Packing the Governor. For packing the stuffing-box, 
candle wicking (which comes in balls) is excellent; soaked 
in a mixture of cylinder oil and black lead or graphite, it 
will work well and last a long time. Do not screw the 
stuffing-box down too hard on the packing, or the sensi- 
tive action of the governor will be interfered with. It is well 
to allow a slight leakage to insure its not being too tight. 

Oiling the Governor. Oil the governor thoroughly 
with good oil. Oil regularly (at least twice a day) the 
brass washer at the top, the horizontal shaft, the barrel 
(which is oiled from the top), etc. Keep the governor 
clean and oil-holes open. If oil has been used which gums 
or causes the parts to stick, a little kerosene poured into 
the oil holes will clean the parts. If the use of gmnmy 
oil Is continued, this treatment should be repeated once 
a week after shutting down. 

The Governor Belt. Use a thin flat belt and see that 
the lacing" or fasteninof is hammered down flat, so that no 



74 



SCII^NCE OF SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 



bunch remains to cause an uneven working of the gov- 
ernor. The belt should be sufficiently taut to prevent 
slipping, but not so taut as to cause undue friction. 

The belt should be kept free from excessive oil or 
grease from other parts of the engine. This may be wiped 
off with a clean cloth moistened with a little kerosene or 
benzine and afterwards wiped again vs^ith a dry cloth. 

Governor Troubles. If the governor ''jumps" or is 

irregular, it is probably 



VALVE STEM -^Hy^ STUFFING BOX 



occasioned by one of the 
following causes : First, 
because the valve is a lit- 
tle tight; second, be- 
cause the valve-stem is 
bent; or, third, because 
the stuffing-box nut is 
screwed down too tight- 
ly. Turning the valve- 
stem up and down 
while the governor is 
r u n n i n g, will show 
whether the valve works 
freely in its seat. If it 
binds at all, take it out, and rub it with a fine emery cloth, 
but never attempt to file it. In taking the governor apart, 
the top must be lifted off as "true" as possible, so as not to 
bend the valve-stem. If the valve-stem becomes bent 




FIG. 21, SECTION OF WATERS 
GOVERNOR VALVE. 



thk engine proper 75 

where it passes through the stuffing-box, it will be best 
to procure a new stem. 

A governor should hold down the speed of the engine 
and not allow it to "race" or "run wild," even with no 
load and full boiler pressure. When a governor, which 
once controlled the speed properly fails to do so it is an 
indication that either its action is interfered with by an 
imperfect stem or the like, or else that the valve and lining 
have become worn so that sufficient steam leaks through 
to cause the engine to race. Sometimes when this is the 
case, the engine "dies" when called on to pull a heavy 
load (as in sawing) on account of the fact that it is 
screwed down too far in the attempt to control the speed 
with no load. The remedy for this trouble is a new valve 
and new lining or valve-seat. The length of time that a 
governor vv^ill run before leakage through the valve be- 
comes troublesome varies greatly — from only a season 
or so to perhaps ten or twelve years, depending on the 
purity of the water. 

Rated Horse-Pozver. Stationary engines are rated at 
about their actual horse-power, as determined by brake 
test. Farm and traction engines, on the other hand, have 
been rated very much below their actual or brake horse- 
power, which is to be regretted. As the practice of under- 
rating has existed since engines for driving threshing ma- 
chines were first built, and has grown up with the busi- 
ness, it is somewhat difficult to change this at the present 



76 science: of successfuIv Threshing 

time, but it is being gradually brought about. If we look 
into history and causes, we find that the early method of 
driving threshing machines was by horses, and when en- 
gines were first used for threshing, a ten horse-power en- 
gine was supposed to supply about the same amount of 
power as a lever-power driven by ten horses. From the 
time of those early engines to the present, the competition 
of different manufacturers, all endeavoring to furnish 
the most powerful engine of a given rating, and the raising 
of the steam pressure from 60 to 130 or even 160 pounds 
(which was done without reducing the size of the cylinder 
of a given rating), has caused the rating of engines of 
this class to become more and more confusing. The re- 
lation which the rated horse-power bears to the actual size 
of the engine varies so greatly that, in reality, the "rated 
horse-power" gives only a very indefinite idea of the 
actual size of an engine. There are reasons why it is 
preferable to indicate the size of an engine by size of its 
cylinder, instead of by its rated horse-power; for example, 
to say a "nine by ten" rather than a "fifteen horse" engine. 
However, besides the cylinder size, the steam pressure 
carried and the speed are also important factors in de- 
termining the amount of horse-power an engine will de- 
velop, and therefore a brake rating based on the actual 
load the engine is capable of carrying is the only satis- 
factory method. English engines are more under-rated 
than any of those built in the United States, but in compar- 



The engine proper 77 

ing tht engines of these countries, the difference in steam 
pressure and speed must be taken into consideration, as 
well as the difference in the size of cyHnders. The methods 
of obtaining the exact horse-power of an engine with the 
indicator or the Prony brake are becoming better known, 
but it is probable, however, that all engines will not be cor- 
rectly rated for some time to come. 

Bngine Horse-Power. The unit of power is a *'horse- 
power" which is defined as the amount of power necessary 
to raise thirty-three thousand pounds one foot in one min- 
ute. From this it will be seen that, if we know the amount 
of force exerted in pounds and multiply by the number of 
feet it travels in a minute and then divide the product so 
obtained by 33,000, we will have the result in horse-power. 
We have, then, as our unit of horse-power something that 
means a definite amount and one that can be easily meas- 
ured, with reasonable accuracy. 

The horse-power of an engine may be found by multi- 
plying the average, total effective pressure on the piston, 
by the number of feet it travels per minute, and dividing 
by thirty-three thousand. The total effective pressure 
on the piston is equal to its area in square inches, multi- 
plied by the effective pressure per square inch, which is 
not constant, but varies, being nearest boiler pressure dur- 
ing the early part of the stroke and decreasing after the 
point of cut-off Is passed, as the steam expands, until the 



yS SCIENCE OE SUCCESSEUI. THRESHING 

end of the stroke is reached. The effective pressure is the 
pressure remaining after subtracting the back pressure of 
the exhaust, which is exerted on the opposite side of the 
piston. 

Indicated Horsc-Pozver. The pressure at the different 
parts of the stroke can be actually measured only by means 
of the steam-engine indicator. This instrument has a small 
piston, connected to a pencil point in such a way that move- 
ment of the piston is registered on a card. Since the 
movement of the piston is resisted by a calibrated spring, 
its position depends upon the amount of pressure it is sub- 
jected to, and as the card moves, corresponding to the 
movement of the engine piston, therefore, the amount 
of pressure at all points may be known from the diagram 
made by the pencil point. Knowing the pressures at the 
various points of the stroke, it is easy to multiply the aver- 
age by the travel of the piston in feet per minute and thus 
determine the horse-power. The result so obtained is 
called the "indicated" horse-power. The indicator meas- 
ures the power developed in the cylinder and, of course, 
it takes a part of this to run the engine itself. The 
amount so consumed is, roughly, ten per cent, of the whole. 

Brake Horse-Power. The net horse-power delivered at 
the fly-wheel may be actually measured by means of a de- 
vice known as the "Prony brake." Sometimes the brake is 
mounted on the engine shaft, but more often the engine is 
belted to the brake, as shown in Fig. 22. A Prony brake 
consists essentially of a band which may be tightened so 



THE ENGINE PROPER 



79 



as to apply friction to a revolving shaft, pulley or drum 
in such a manner that the tendency of the band to revolve 
with the shaft is resisted by weighing scales, which will 
show the amount of pull. The result so obtained is called 
the "brake" horse-power. It is evident that the difference 
between the indicated and brake horse-power is the power 
required to run the engine, that is, to overcome the friction 
in the engine itself and sometimes in the brake also. 

Since we can know the speed of the revolving shaft, 




FIG. 22. ENGINE BELTED TO PRONY BRAKE. 

the scale reading and the distance in feet that the point 
at which the scales are applied would travel in one revo- 
lution if allowed to turn with the shaft, we can determine 
the horse-power by multiplying these three amounts to- 
gether and dividing by 33,000. Sometimes the radius of 
the circle that the scales act on, or "brake-arm" as it is 
called, is made 63 inches and when this is the case the 
calculating is simplified because it is then only necessary 
to multiply the number of revolutions per minute by the 
number of pounds shown by the scales and divide the prod- 
uct by 1,000 in order to determine the horse-power. 

A good example of a Prony brake is shown in Fig. 23. 



8o 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



The friction wheel on this has inner and outer flanges on 
the rim. The friction band consists of a flexible strap of 
steel with wooden blocks attached to it to form the friction 
surfaces. The desired tension on the band is obtained 
by means of the adjusting screw with hand-wheel. The 
brake-arm rests on a knife-edge on the top of a post which 
in turn rests on a platform scale. Overheating is prevented 




FIG. 23. PRONY BRAKE. 

by keeping a flov/ of cooling water on the inside of the rim. 
Centrifugal force and the flanges hold the water against 
the inside of the rim when the wheel is in motion. A 
pipe with its end in the form of a scoop removes the heated 
water while another continuallv dischars^es fresh water 
into the rim. Heavy grease is applied to the rubbing 
surfaces. 



THE ENGINE PROPER 8l 

There are several other forms of Prony brake in com- 
mon use. A very satisfactory one is similar to the one in the 
cut except that the band is tightened by a lever and weights 
instead of the screw. The influence of these tension 
weights on the scale reading must be taken into account, 
but otherwise this arrangement has an advantage since 
the tension on the band is not changed by contraction and 
expansion due to changes in temperature. In another 
form of the Prony brake, sometimes called a *Vope brake,'* 
several strands of rope are used in place of the friction 
band with wood blocks. The principle, however, is the 
same in all. 

Drazv-Bar Horse-Pozver. Since we know that horse- 
power is simply force in pounds multiplied by the dis- 
tance in feet travelled in one minute and divided by 33,000, 
it is a very simple matter to determine the horse-power 
being delivered at the draw-bar of a traction engine. For 
this purpose a draw-bar dynamometer is used. This in- 
strument is simply a form of spring scales of suitable 
proportions and is sometimes provided with a recording 
device. 

Calculating the Horse-Pozver. Although, as already 
stated, the average pressure on the piston can be meas- 
ured only by means of the steam-engine indicator, we 
can, for calculation, assume a value for it that is ac- 
curate enough for ordinary purposes. This we will take 
to be fifty per cent, of the boiler pressure, a value which 



82 SCIENCE 0]? SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

closely approximates the actual one for engines of the class 
we are dealing with. Then, with a boiler pressure of one 
hundred and thirty pounds, our average effective pressure 
(or ''mean effective pressure," as it is called) per square 
inch will be fifty per cent, of one hundred and thirty 
pounds, or sixty-five pounds. The formula commonly used 
for determining the horse-power of an engine is as fol- 
lows: PLAN _ 

33,000 — -^- ■^• 
in which P = mean effective pressure. 
L = length of stroke in feet. 
A ^ area of piston in square inches. 
N = number of strokes per minute, or twice the 
number of revolutions. 

The area of a circle is equal to its diameter multiplied 
by itself and the product by .7854. To show the applica- 
tion of this formula, we will take, for example, an engine 
with a 9-inch bore, a lo-inch stroke, a speed of 250 revo- 
lutions per minute and a boiler pressure of 130 pounds — 
the size of the forty-five horse-power Case engine : 

P = 50% of 130 = 65 pounds. 

L = 10 -^ 12 or .833 feet. 

A = 9 X 9 X .7854 = 63.617 sq. inches. 

N = 250x2 = 500 strokes per minute. 

Substituting these values for the letters in the formula, 

we sfet : 

^ 65 x. 833x63.617x500 ^^ ^ , 

00 ^^w^ = 52.2 horse-power. 

Since this is the power developed in the cylinder, it 
corresponds to the indicated horse-power, and it is greater 
than the horse-power delivered at the fly-wheel or brake 
horse-power by about ten per cent. Subtracting this ten 



THE ENGINE PROPER 83 

per cent., we have 47 brake horse-power as the result. 

In applying- the above formula, several of the same figures 

always occur, and we may combine these in order to make 

our formula as simple as possible. When we have done 

this, we have it in the following form : 

PxLxDxDxNxl8 _ p 

10,000,000 "" ■ ■ 

in which P = boiler pressure in pounds per sq. inch. 
L r=: length of stroke in inches. 
D :=: cylinder bore in inches. 
N=: number of revolutions. 

This may be stated in the form of a rule v/hich can 
be readily applied by any one. This rule is as follows : 

Multiply together the h oiler-pressure, the length of 
the stroke in inches, the cylinder bore in inches, again the 
bore in inches, and this product finally by 18. Divide the 
result by 10,000,000 (which is simply pointing off seven 
places), and the quotient is the brake horse-power. 

The following illustrates the application of this rule 
to the Case forty-five horse engine : 

180=: boiler pressure. 
10 z::^ length of stroke in inches. 



1.300 

9: 


^cylinder bore in inches, 


11,700 

9: 


=r cylinder bore in inches. 


105,300 

250: 


= revolutions per minute. 


5,265,000 
21,060,000 




26,320,000 

18 : 


=:the constant. 


210,560,000 
263,200.000 




473,760,000 





84 



SCIENCE OF SUCCDSSFUIy THRESHING 



Dividing by 10,000,000, or pointing off seven places, 
we get 47.4=brake horse-power. 

Compounded Engines. A compounded engine is one 
in which the steam is expanded in two or more cyhnders. 
Threshing engines, when compounded, are ''two-cyhnder" 
compounds, but large stationary and marine engines are 
often ''triple" and sometimes "quadruple" expansion. 




FIG. 24. SECTIONAL VIEW OF "vVOOLF" COMPOUNDED CYLINDER. 

There are different types of two-cylinder compounds, viz. : 
the "cross," where the cylinders are abreast and each 
piston connected to a separate crank ; the "trunk," in which 
two pistons of the same size are connected by an enlarged 
rod or trunk, the high-pressure cylinder being in the form 
of an annular ring between the pistons, and the low- 
pressure at the ends of the long cylinder which is the same 



the: engine: proper 



85 



bore throughout; and the ''tandem," having one cyHnder 
behind the other, with both pistons on the same rod. The 
latter has proved to be the type best adapted for use on 
farm and traction engines. 

The Woolf Compound. The cut Fig. 24 shows 
a sectional view of the "Woolf'-tandem-compound cyl- 
inder used on "Case" compound engines. Its operation is 
as follows: The steam from the boiler enters the valve 
(which is hollow), through the large opening at the crank 
end, passes through the valve and out at the narrow open- 
ing near the head end, which, as the valve moves, alter- 
nately comes opposite the two ports leading to the ends 
of the small or high pressure cylinder. The valve in 
moving also alternately uncovers these ports, allowing the 
high-pressure cylinder to exhaust into the steam chest. 
The low-pres- 
sure cylinder 
receives the 
steam from 
the steam 
chest, and ex- 
h a u s t s 
(through the 
heater) into 

the stack, in exactly the same manner as a simple engine. 
The valve is ''balanced" because high-pressure steam is 
under and tending to lift it, while the low-pressure steam 




FACE OF COMPOUNDED VALVE. 



86 



scie:nce o^ successfuIv threshing 




is on top, and pressing it against its seat. When the 

engine is running with 
a light load, the pressure 
is sometimes insufficient 
to hold the valve against 
its seat, in which case a 
loud clattering noise is 
made by the valve as it 
rises from and returns 
to its seat. To prevent 
FIG. 2D. PIPE TO STEAM PLUGS. this, two stcam plugs 
are placed in the chambered steam-chest cover, so that, 
when the valve in the small steam pipe connecting this 
chamber with the main steam-pipe is open, the live steam 
pressure against the plugs holds the valve against its seat. 
To Take Apart the Compounded Cylinder. To take 
out the pistons for renev/ing the piston-rings or for other 
purposes, first unbolt and remove the high-pressure cyl- 
inder. Then loosen the jam-nut and unscrew the rod 
from the cross-head by turning the pistons. The rod with 
the two pistons and the center-head may now be pulled 
out. In replacing the cylinder, loosen the three (or four), 
set-screws, which hold the center-head in position, and 
after the high-pressure cylinder is bolted in place, tighten 
them up in order to hold the center-head in position and 
prevent leakage. If the asbestos gasket has been injured 
it will be necessary to put in a new one. 



THE ENGINE PROPER 



87 



Center-Head Packing. Leakage around the rod, be- 
tween the two cyhnders, is prevented by metalHc packing, 
which, v/ith sufficient lubrication and clean water in the 
boiler, will 



re- 



main tight dur- 



msr 



the engine, 




FIG. 27. THE CENTER-HEAD PACKING. 



the life of 
The 
ace ompanying 
cuts show a side 
and a sectional 
view of the me- 
tallic piston-rod 
packing which 
is located in the 
center-head between the high and low-pressure cylinders. 
In the side view, the rings G and B are removed. The 
center-head is represented by A. The iron-packing rings 
D and E are each in three parts or segments and are held 
in their proper places by the spring C. These segments of 
rings are so placed that they "break joints," as can readily 
be seen from the side elevation. They are held in position, 
relative to each other, by the dowel pin, H. These packing 
rings are held in place by the ring B, and also by the ring 
G, which is fastened to the head with three cap-screws, F. 
The head is held in its position between the cylinders by 
set-screws, as can readily be seen from Fig. 24. 

To Test the Center-Head Packing, set the reverse lever 



88 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

for, say, the threshing motion and turn the engine in the 
direction in which it would run, just past the crank-end 
dead-center. Block the cross-head so that the crank-shaft 
cannot revolve, disconnect the cylinder-cock rod, and open 
the throttle. This will admit steam on the crank-end of the 
high pressure cylinder, and if the cylinder-cock on the 
head-end of the low-pressure cylinder blows steam when 
opened, it can come only from leakage of the metallic 
packing in the center-head. 



CHAPTER VII 

THE VALVE-GEAR 

r^y^HE mechanism that operates the valve of an engine 
B is known as the 'Valve-gear." On stationary or 
portable engines, v/hich are only required to run 
in one direction, the valve gear consists simply of an 
eccentric on the crank shaft (to which the valve stem is 
connected by means of the eccentric-rod), and a guide to 
keep the valve-stem in alignment. As traction engines 
must be run in both directions, a reversing valve gear is 
required, which necessarily renders the valve gear more 
complicated. There have been numerous mechanisms in- 
vented for this purpose, but most traction engines are 
equipped with either the "link" or the Woolf reverse, as 
these are almost the only ones that have withstood the test 
of time. 

It is apparent, that, in order to use steam econom- 
ically, it must be allowed to pass in and out of the cylinder 
at precisely the right moments, and during certain inter- 
vals. Consequently, the economy of a steam engine de- 
pends almost entirely upon the valve-gear, which should, 
therefore, be kept in good repair. The ease with which 
the valve is moved, depends largely upon its lubrication. 

89 




t:^ h 



00 



THE VALVE-GEAR 91 

If the valve be allowed to run dry, the valve-gear is sub- 
jected to an immense amount of unnecessary work, which 
soon wears it, so that the valve does not move as it should, 
and the engine becomes wasteful in its use of steam. The 
valve should be well lubricated at all times, the wearing 
parts of the valve-gear should be oiled frequently and eveiy 
precaution taken to keep the valve-gear in first class con- 
dition. The wear should be taken up as fast as it appears 
so that the parts are not allowed to pound. 

The Woolf Valve-Gear. The Woolf valve-gear pos- 
sesses advantages over the other devices used for reversing 
traction engines, which entitle it to rank as the most popu- 
lar and satisfactory means for this purpose known at the 
present time. It is very simple, consisting of a single 
eccentric, the "strap" of which is extended to form an arm; 
to the end of this arm is pivoted a block, which slides in 
a guide connected to the hand lever and pivoted in such a 
way that the angle of the block's path depends upon the 
position of the hand lever; the eccentric rod transmits the 
motion from the eccentric arm (to which it is connected), 
to the valve stem through a rocker arm or guided "slide.'* 
It will be seen that the angle of the "block guide" de- 
termines the amount of travel of the valve. By placing the 
reverse lever at or near the center of the quadrant, the 
reverse gear acts as an efficient brake in controlling the en- 
gine when descending hills, or at any time when it is desir- 
able to suddenly check the speed of the engine. This reverse 



92 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSEUIv THRESHING 

allows of "hooking up," that is, placing the lever in notches 
between the end and center of the quadrant. In these 
positions, the valve travel is reduced and the points of 
"cut-off" made earlier, which, of course, lessens the amount 
of steam required. It is, therefore, economy to run the 
engine "hooked up" whenever its load will allow. Pro- 
vision is made for taking up lost motion in the parts sub- 
jected to wear. All the joints should be kept well oiled, 
but the only parts which require frequent attention in this 
respect, are the eccentric and the sliding block. When the 
valve is sufficiently lubricated, and the valve-gear is prop- 
erly oiled and adjusted, the reverse lever is easily handled, 
when under a full head of steam. 

Caution Against Disturbing the Valve Setting. It so 
often happens that an expert, when called to an engine, 
finds that the valve has been re-set after the engine left 
the factory, that it seems best, at this point, to say a few 
words of caution against disturbing the valve of a new 
engine. Let us advise you not to jump to the conclusion 
that your valve is incorrectly constructed or improperly 
set. Remember that the engine has been designed and built 
by experienced men, thoroughly competent to make it all 
that it should be. Remember, too, that the engine has been 
tested at the factory, in the belt and on the road with heavy 
loads, within sight and hearing of a dozen men, whose long 
experience has made them so critical that they could not 
fail to detect anything wrong in the engine's performance. 



the; vai,ve-gear 93^ 

Let us add that in nine cases out of ten, where an expert 
is called to reset a valve, he finds that it has been disturbed 
since it left the testing room. Do not, then, conclude that 
your valve is ''off," until you have carefully investigated 
whatever trouble there may be. 

There are men in nearly every locality throughout 
the country, who are confident that they themselves know 
more about setting valves than do the manufacturers. These 
men affirm that whatever trouble they may have is due 
to the working of the valve, and, when no improvement 
is shown after they have reset it, they say that the valve- 
gear was not properly constructed and designed originally. 
If they had carefully investigated the trouble before dis- 
turbing the valve, they would have discovered the real 
cause, due probably to either insufficient cylinder and valve 
lubrication, or to a priming tendency of the boiler. The 
causes of, and the remedies for these difficulties are dis- 
cussed elsewhere in this book. 

Finding the ''Dead Centers/' An engine is on its 
"dead center" v/hen a line drawn through the center of 
the piston-rod will pass through the center of the crank- 
pin. There are two, the "crank" dead-center, when the 
piston is at the end of the cylinder nearest the crank-shaft, 
and the "head" dead-center, when the piston is at the op- 
posite end. An engine is said to be running "over" when 
the top of rim of fly-wheel runs away from the cylinder 
and running "under" when the top of rim of fly-wheel runs 



94 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 



towards the cylinder. ''Case'' engines are marked for 
finding the dead-centers at the factory, and by applying 
one of the company's trams, as indicated in Fig. 29, they 
may be readily placed on either dead-center. It may be 
necessary to scrape off the paint to find the prick-punch 

marks on the frame and on 
the crank-disc. The tram 
shown in the illustration 
measures eight and three-six- 
teenths inches between the 
points, which size has been 
used by the "Case" company 
for many years. It will be 
seen that a "Case" engine 
may be put on its dead cen- 
ters by using a pair of dividers set to this distance, but 
they do not serve the purpose as well as the tram. The 
following method of finding the dead centers is the one 
used at the factory, and is generally used on all styles 
of engines. To put it into use, first take up all lost motion 
in the connecting-rod brasses, crank-shaft bearing and 
cross-head shoes. Then turn the engine until the piston 
lacks an inch or so of completing its stroke. Make a 
prick-punch mark at any convenient place ori the cross- 
head (see Fig. 30), insert one point of the tram in the 
mark and with the other point, make a scratch on the 
engine frame to locate a second prick-punch mark. The 




FIG. 29. TRAM ON DISC. 



THK VALVE-GEAR 



95 



tram points should now measure the exact distance be- 
tween the tvv^o marks and when appHed should be nearly 
parallel to the piston-rod, as shown in Fig. 30. In the 
same manner, a mark should be made at any convenient 
place on the frame near the crank-disc, a scratch made on 
the disc (which should come across the face of the disc), 
and a light prick-punch mark made on the disc, so that the 
tram measures the exact distance between the marks, as 
shown in Fig. 29. Next, 
turn the ens^ine until the 
cross-head comes back 
to the same place, but 
with the crank-pin on 
the other side of the 
dead-center, holding the 
tram with one point in 
the mark on the frame, near the guides, and the other so 
that it will drop into the cross-head prick-punch mark 
when it comes to the right place. Next, place one leg of 
the tram in the other mark on the frame and make 
a scratch on the disc as before, to locate the second mark 
on the rim of the crank-disc. When this is done, find 
the mid-point between the two marks (wlrich are tem- 
porary), on the disc, with a pair of dividers, mark it 
clearly, and then destroy the two original marks. The 
other dead-center is found in the same manner. Now 
when the crank-disc is turned around until the tram point 




FIG. 30. TRAM ON CROSS-HEAD. 



96 scie:nce o^ successful threshing 

drops into one of the marks on it, the engine will be on 
either of its dead-centers. With engines, on which the 
crank-disc is not easily reached, the prick-punch marks 
for the tram are usually located on the fly-wheel rim. They 
were so placed on "Case" center-crank engines. 

In placing the engine on its dead-centers, in examin- 
ing the valve setting, or in setting the valve, it should 
always be turned in the direction indicated by the reverse 
lever, that is, if the reverse lever is in the forward end 
of the quadrant, the engine should be turned "under," 
or in the direction in which it runs when threshing. If 
turned past the mark, it should be turned the opposite 
way and again brought to the mark, moving in the right 
direction. This eliminates any error due to lost motion. 

To Determine if the Valve Setting has been Disturbed. 
New engines have their valves set at the factory before 
being painted, so that broken paint often reveals the fact 
that someone has re-set the valve. Besides this indication, 
"Case" engines are provided with marks, by means of 
which, one can determine whether or not the valve setting 
has been disturbed since the engine left the factory and, 
if it has been disturbed, furnish the means to bring it back 
to the original setting without removing the steam chest 
cover. The eccentric hub and the shaft are marked, as 
with a sharp cold chisel, so that the marks meet when the 
eccentric is in its proper position. When one suspects that 
the eccentric has slipped from its original position, an ex- 



THE VAIvVE-GEAR 



97 



amination of these marks will show whether it has or has 

not. If it has slipped, the trouble may be corrected by 

loosening the set-screws and rotating it around the shaft 

until the marks correspond. An eccentric is liable to slip 

when it becomes hot from running without oil and this 

tendency in such cases is sometimes strong enough to 

draw over or even shear off the points of the set screws 

which secure the eccentric. 

Besides the marks on the eccentric, there are marks 

on the valve-stem and its stuffing-box, in order to make 

apparent any change in the length of the valve-rod or the 

eccentric-rod. To use these marks, however, one should 

have one of the Company's valve-rod trams. This is 

shorter than the one used on the crank-disc and measures 

exactly four and three-sixteenths inches between points. 

It is used as shown in Fig. 31. There are two marks on 

the valve-stem and they 

should be on top. When 

the reverse lever is at the 

rear end of the quadrant, 

(i. e., the road motion), 

and the engine is placed 

on one of its dead centers, 

the valve-rod tram should 

drop into one of the marks, 

and when the engine is placed on its other dead-center, 

the tram should drop into the other mark. If the tram 
7 




FIG. 31. TRAM ON VALVE-STEM. 



98 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

points do not drop into the marks, the eccentric rod should 
be adjusted as to length until they do or else the valve 
must be entirely re-set as explained below. 

Hozu to Set the Valve on Engines with Woolf Reverse. 
After having taken up all the lost motion on the valve- 
gear, main-bearings, crank-pin and cross-head pin and 
shoes, and being provided with the tram for placing the 
engine on its dead-centers, as explained, proceed to set 
the valve as follows : 

First. Length of Reacli^Rod. See that the "reach- 
rod" from the "reverse-lever" to the "block-guide" is of 
such length that the valve moves the same distance during 
a revolution of the fly-wheel in one direction as for a 
revolution in the opposite direction, with the reverse-lever 
in the corresponding end notch of the quadrant in both 
cases. The entire distance the valve moves, which is called 
the "valve travel," may be conveniently measured on 
the valve stem by the tram, as illustrated in Fig. 31, or 
by a pair of dividers or compasses. To do this hold one 
of the tram points in the punch-mark on the stuffing-box 
and, with the other, make scratches across the rod as the 
fly-wheel is slowly revolved. If the "valve travel" be 
more for one motion than for the other, it shows that 
the reach-rod is either too long or too short to give the 
proper angularity to the block-guide, which angularity 
determines the travel of the valve. This rod can be easily 
adjusted to the correct length by taking the pin out of the 



Tlli: VAIvVE-GEAR 99 

lever and turning the forked head on the rod until the 
required length is obtained. The jam-nut should then 
be tightened to prevent lost motion. 

Second. Location of Bccentric. See that the eccentric 
is in the proper position, v^hich is, with its point of great- 
est throw nearly opposite the engine crank-pin on all 
engines except the one hundred and ten horse-power, on 
which it is in line with the crank-pin. The movement of 
the valve in throv/ing the lever from one end notch to the 
other end notch of the quadrant, with the engine on its 
dead-center, is called the "slip." When the eccentric is 
properly located, the ''slip" will be the same for "head" 
dead-center as for "crank" dead-center. The "slip" must 
not only be alike in amount, but must also be in the 
same direction as that in which the lever is moved, in 
both cases. If the "slip" be with the lever for one dead- 
center, and against it for the other, the eccentric is not 
in the correct position, and should be rotated slightly on 
the shaft, until the "slip" is in the same direction as 
that in which the lever is moved, for both dead-centers. 
If it be impossible to get this, the pedestal is not the 
right height, as explained in the following paragraph. 
In setting the eccentric, one set-screw will hold it in place 
temporarily. 

Third. Height of Pedestal. See that the pedestal 
is the correct height. The amount of "slip" indicates this, 
and if it be one-sixteenth for both dead-centers, and in 



lOO SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

the same direction as that in which the lever is moved, the 
pedestal is the proper height. If the pedestal be too 
high, the "slip" of the valve will be more than one-six- 
teenth, and if too low, it will be less or none at all, or if 
very low, the valve stem will move in the opposite direction 
to that in which the reverse lever is moved. The pedestal 
may be raised, by placing "shims" of sheet-iron between 
it and the frame at the place where it is bolted, and lowered 
by removing the "shims." If there be none, the pedestal 
must be taken to a machine-shop and planed off in order 
to lower it. 

Fourth. Dividing the Leads. When you know that 
the reach-rod is the correct length; that the eccentric is 
in the proper position, and that the pedestal is the correct 
height, give the valve three-thirty-seconds of an inch 
"lead" on the crank-end for the threshing-motion. The 
"slip" of the valve, in throwing the lever over to the road 
motion, will reduce this lead by one-sixteenth, so that the 
leads will be nearly alike for the road motion. The 
"lead" should be obtained by adjusting the length of the 
ecceintric-rod, allowing the nuts on the valve-stem to 
remain undisturbed. If the nuts on valve-stem be loos- 
ened, the "draw-block" is liable to be tilted so that the 
valve cannot leave its seat (without bending the rod), 
when necessary to let water out of cylinder. 

It is best, after setting the valve, to go all over it again 
from the beginning, and if all be found correct, the eccen- 



THE VAI.VE-GEAR lOI 

trie may be set permanently by tightening both set-screws, 
for whicli there are counter-sunk depressions in the shaft. 
It sometimes happens when the eccentric strap has been 
set up too tightly, or has been allowed to become dry 
and hot, that the eccentric hub rotates a little on the shaft, 
drawing the holes and set screws slightly. 

If necessary, the depressions may be changed by slid- 
ing the eccentric-hub to one side (after having removed 
the eccentric-strap), and chipping them out with a round- 
nose chisel so that the deepest part is in the required 
position for the set-screw. The eccentric-hub and shaft 
should be marked (as is done at the factory), with a cold- 
chisel, so that should the eccentric slip, the slippage can be 
discovered and the eccentric readily re-set. 

In any style of valve-gear the "lead" is changed by 
rotating the eccentric around the shaft. It will be seen 
that the Woolf reverse, having but one eccentric cannot 
be adjusted to change the lead, because if the lead be 
increased for engine running "over," it will be decreased 
for engine running "under," and vice versa. There is 
therefore but one position for the eccentric. This is de- 
termined at the factory, and on "Case" engines built since 
1898 the main shaft is countersunk for the set screws. 

Bven Cut-offs. The above is the method used in set-, 
ting the valve on Thirty, Thirty-six, Forty-iive, Sixty and 
Seventy-five horse-power "Case" traction engines at the 
factory, and brake and indicator tests show that these 



102 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

engines, with their valves so set, easily develop their 
rated horse-power, and are very economical. It will 
be seen that this riiethod of setting- the valve gives unequal 
"leads" for the threshing-motion, there being three-thirty- 
seconds of an inch on the crank-end and no lead on the 
head-end. The points of cut-off, however, will be "even," 
that is, substantially alike on both ends, for both road and 
threshing'-motions. 

Equal Leads. Were it desirable to set the valve with 
equal "leads," it could be done by m.aking the pedestal of 
such a height that there would be no "slip." In this case, 
the points of cut-off would not be even, and one end of the 
cylinder would do more work than the other. For this, 
and other reasons, this method is not recommended. 

Setting the Valve on Compounds. The valve of the 
Woolf-compound cylinder is set in exactly the same man- 
ner as that of a simple engine, the part of valve covering 
low-pressure ports only, being considered. 

Hoiv to Set Valve on Portable Bngines. See that 
there is no lost motion in the connecting-rod brasses, 
main bearings and the valve-rod connections, the latter 
being most important. Remove steam-chest cover. Now, 
with the eccentric secured to the crank-shaft, slowly turn 
the fly-wheel in order to see that the valve travels an 
equal amount on each side of the ports. This may be 
conveniently determined by making fine scratches on the 
valve seat along the edges of the valve when in its ex- 



THE VALVK-GEAR IO3 

treme positions and then measuring the distances between 
the scratches and the edges of the ports. If a difference 
exists in these measurements, adjust the valve stem by 
lengthening* or shortening it, as the case may require, 
until the valve travels the same distance past the tvv^o ports. 
Next, place the engine on one of its dead centers, as ex- 
plained on page 93, and unless the valve shows one 
thirty-second of an inch opening or lead at the port lead- 
ing to the end of the cylinder where the piston is, the 
eccentric is not in the correct position. If it is not, loosen 
it from the crank-shaft and rotate it until it is about one- 
quarter revolution ahead of the crank-pin in the direction 
in which the engine is to run, Vv-atching the valve as the 
eccentric is revolved, until the port has opened exactly 
one thirty-second of an inch. Tighten the set screw in 
the eccentric and place the engine on the opposite dead- 
center, and the port opening will be found to be just one 
thirty-second of an inch also, providing the work has 
been carefully done. 

The above instructions apply for setting the valve 
to run the engine in either direction, it being only neces- 
sary to see that the eccentric is always a little more than 
one-quarter revolution ahead of the crank-pin in the direc- 
tion in which the engine is to run. 

''Case" portable engines are alv\rays set at the factory 
to run "under" unless otherwise ordered. 

Setting a Valve with Link Reverse. After having 



I04 SCIENCE OJ? SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

taken up all the lost motion, as explained, the first thing 
to do, in setting the valve on an engine equipped with 
the "link" reverse, is to find the correct length of the 
eccentric-rods. To do this, take off the steam-chest cover 
and place the reverse lever in the last notch at either 
end of the quadrant. Now, with a scratch-awl having 
a very fine point, make scratches on the valve seat, show- 
ing the extreme position of the valve at each end of its 
travel as the fly-wheel is revolved. Measure from the 
marks to the outside edges of the steam ports, and, if there 
be any difference, divide it up by lengthening or shorten- 
ing the eccentric-rod, that is for the time being, moving 
the valve. The length of the other rod is found in the 
same way, the reverse-lever being at the opposite end of 
the quadrant. If the engine be marked and you have the 
"tram" for placing it on the centers, as already explained, 
proceed to set the valve as follows: After the lengths 
of the eccentric-rods are correctly adjusted, according to 
the method already given, place the engine on one of its 
dead-centers, say, the head one, and set the reverse lever 
in the last notch at either end of the quadrant. The valve 
should now be in such a position that the port leading to 
the head end of the cylinder should show a "lead" equal 
to the thickness of an ordinary playing card. The amount 
of lead may be varied by rotating the eccentric hub around 
the shaft. Rotating it in the direction in which the engine 
is to run increases the lead and moving it in the opposite 



THE VALVE-GEAR 105 

direction decreases the lead. When you have obtained 
the desired lead, place the engine on the other dead-center 
and see if the lead be the same. If it be not, the valve- 
stem should be lengthened or shortened (by means of 
adjusting nuts), until it is the same. If, after dividing 
the lead, there be too much or too little, rotate the eccentric 
hub on the shaft, until the required lead is obtained- at 
both ends. The valve is now set for the engine running 
either ''over" or ''under," according to the end of the 
quadrant at which the reverse lever was set. The reverse- 
lever may now be placed in the other end of the quadrant 
and the valve set for the other motion. This is done 
in the same manner, except that the dividing of the lead 
must now be done on the eccentric-rod instead of the 
valve-stem, so that the first setting will not be disturbed. 
When this is done, try the other motion again, so that 
when you are through, you know that the lead is the same 
for both dead-centers for the engine running either over 
or under. The draw-block should be examined to insure 
its not being so tipped as to prevent the valve from rising 
from its seat when necessary to let water out of the 
cylinder. 

With the link reverse, the lead can be as much or as 
little as desired and need not be the samie for both motions. 
However, lead equal to the thickness of a playing card will 
give the best results for this class of engines. 




CHAPTER VIII 

THE BOILER 

iHE function of the boiler is to heat water sufB- 

ciently to change it into steam, for use in an 

engine, or for other purposes. The supply of 

water for the boiler has been treated under *'The Feed 

Water" in Chapter II, and the management of the fire 

with various fuels under ^'Firing" in Chapter III. 

Boiler Fittings. The fittings necessary for the opera- 
tion of a boiler, are the feeder (for supplying the water), 
glass gage and gage cocks (for indicating the water level), 
a steam gage (for indicating the pressure), a pop or 
safety valve (to prevent the pressure from reaching a 
dangerous height), and a "blow-off" valve (for draining 
the boiler) . A boiler is usually fitted also with a whistle 
for signaling, a fusible plug and a blower for forcing the 
draft. The water feeders, water glass and gage cocks 
have been treated under ''Feed Water" in Chapter 11. 

The Steam Gage. The steam gage indicates the steam 
pressure in the boiler in pounds per square inch. The cut 
shows the interior of the gage used on "Case" engines. 
The curved tube or Bourdon spring has an oval cross sec- 
tion, and when exposed to pressure from the inside, tends 

107 



io8 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 




to Straighten, as a hose will do when under pressure. The 
free end of the Bourdon tube is connected to the hand 

or pointer by means of a seg- 
ment lever and pinion so that 
the pointer, which is on the same 
shaft as the pinion, revolves, in- 
dicating on the dial the pressure 
on the inside of the tube, which 
is the same as that in the boiler. 
The black dial with white fisf- 
ures and graduations is pre- 

FIG. 33. INTERIOR OF GAGE. f^^.^.^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ aCCOUUt Of 

the ease with which the figures are seen at night. 

The Steam-Gage Siphon. In order 
to prevent the temper of the tube of 
the gage from being drawn by the 
hot steam, a device, consisting of a bulb 
containing two small tubes is placed be- 
tween the gage and the boiler. The 
sectional view of this ''siphon," as it 
is called, shows a small tube extending 
upward to the top of the chamber, and 
another depending downward towards 
the bottom. The entering steam will 
be deflected to the bottom of the cham- 
ber where it is condensed, thus effect- 

FiG. 34. SECTION ^^^^y preventing any live steam from 
OF SIPHON. entering the gage. 




THE BOII^ER 



109 



The stop-cocks that are placed in some steam-gage 
siphons should always be left open. 

The Pop Safety Valve. The safety valve opens when 
the pressure reaches a certain point, allowing the excess 
steam to escape and closes 
when the pressure has been 
reduced a few pounds. The 
valves are usually set at 
the factory to blow off at 
one hundred and thirty 
pounds. If a change of 
pressure be desired, un- 
screw the jam nut at the 
top and apply the key, pro- 
vided for this purpose, to 
the pressure screw. For 
more pressure, screw 
down; for less, unscrew. 
After having obtained the 
desired pressure, screw 
the jam nut down tight on 
the pressure screw. To 
regulate the opening and closing action of the valve, take 
the pointed end of a file and apply it to the teeth of the 
regulator. If the valve closes with too much loss of 
boiler pressure, move the regulator to the right. This can 
be done when the valve is at the point of blowing off. 




FIG. 35. SECTIONAL VIEW 
OF POP VALVE. 



no science: 01^ succEssi^uiv Threshing 

The Blower. The blower consists simply of a pipe 
leading from the boiler to a nozzle in the smoke-stack. In 
the pipe is a valve for shutting off the steam. On traction 
engines usually a rod is fitted to this valve, allowing it to 
be operated from the platform. The blower is intended 
for use only in raising steam, when the engine is not 
running. When the engine is running, its exhaust is dis- 
charged into the smoke-stack, creating what is known as 
*' forced" draft, as distinguished from "natural" draft, 
which is due only to the height of the chimney. When an 
engine has been running and is temporarily shut down 
the blower should not be used unless the entire grate sur- 
face is covered with burning fuel. If the blower be used 
soon after shutting down and the grates are not entirely 
covered with burning fuel, cold air will pass through the 
dead places in the grates direct to the tubes, cooling them 
suddenly and rendering them liable to leak. 

The Fusible Plug, sometimes called the "safety-plug" 
or "soft-plug," is intended to melt and prevent the crown- 
sheet from injury by low water. However, 
it cannot be entirely relied on, for the upper 
end is apt to get coated with lime or scale 
and render it useless. It should be taken out 
two or three times during the season and 
scraped clean, and a new plug should be put 
FUSIBLE PLUG iH or thc oM one refilled at the beginning of 
SECTION, ^^^j^ threshing season. In screwing the plug 




THE BOILER III 

into the crown sheet, see that it goes in a sufficient dis- 
tance, so that the remaining lower end does not extend 
into the fire-box so far as to incur danger of its ''melting 
out" when there is plenty of water in the boiler. The plug 
shown in Fig. 36 has no thread at the upper end so this 
cannot happen, but on some plugs the thread extends 
nearly the whole length. If a plug ''melts out" in the 
field, it may be temporarily filled with lead or babbitt 
metal if no tin is to be had. Putty or moist clay will stop 
up the bottom of the hole while pouring. When cool, 
rivet it a little to be sure that it is tight. A shovel or long- 
handled iron spoon will serve to melt the metal if a ladle 
be not at hand. The melting point of lead is 610 degrees 
F., and of babbitt metal about 650 degrees F. A proper 
material for soft plugs is commercial tin, the melting point 
of which is about 450 degrees F., or an alloy of two parts 
of lead and one of tin, having a melting point of 440 de- 
grees F. Either will melt before the steel sheet is injured. 
In some places the law requires the use of Banca tin in 
fusible plugs. This metal has a melting point of 450 
degrees F. 

Foaming. When a boiler is "foaming," the water in 
the glass appears roily and the level changes rapidly, the 
glass appearing full one moment and nearly empty the 
next. Dirty water is usually the cause of foaming, alkali 
or soap in any quantity being especially bad. No one 
should be allowed to wash in the tank, as even a small 
amount of soap is liable to cause trouble. On account 



112 SCIKNCE; 01? SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

of the soap used as a lubricant on the taps in manufacture, 
new boilers are liable to foam until they are washed out 
two or three times. It is difficult to tell exactly how much 
water there is in a foaming boiler, but it is probable that 
some of it is being drawn over with the steam, and there- 
fore, the pump should feed more than the usual amount. 
Do not run too long with a foaming boiler, but close the 
throttle occasionally to see how full the boiler is when 
the water settles. The remedy for foaming is to keep the 
boiler clean and to use clean water. Foaming often causes 
priming. Foaming and priming are more apt to occur 
with low than with high steam pressure. 

Priming. When water is drawn over into the cylinder 
with the steam, the engine is said to "prime." A priming 
engine appears to be working very hard, exhausting heav- 
ily, throwing water from the stack and often making a 
loud knocking or pounding noise in the cylinder. Prim- 
ing may be caused by: i. Too high a level of water in 
the boiler. 2. Too low steam pressure. 3. Engine work- 
ing hard with the front of the boiler low. 4. Boiler work- 
ing beyond its capacity. 5. Foaming. 6. Piston rings or 
valve leaking. 7. Valve improperly set. 

In case the engine should begin to prime, the cylinder 
cocks should be opened and the throttle partially closed, so 
that the engine runs quite slowly, until dry steam comes 
from the cylinder cocks. Priming is liable to knock out a 
cylinder head, break the piston-head or cross-head, or do 



THE BOII.ER 113 

Other serious damage to the engine. It always washes the 
oil from the cylinder and valve, thereby causing the latter 
to squeak. The lubricator or oil pump should be allowed 
to feed quite freely after priming, or serious injury to the 
valve-gear may result. 

Painting the Boiler. The greater part of the boiler can 
be kept black and looking well by rubbing with oily waste 
or rags. The front end of the boiler, around the smoke- 
box, and the smoke-stack require painting from time to 
time to prevent them from becoming rusty and unsightly. 
For this, asphaltum (which may be thinned with turpen- 
tine or benzine), or boiled linseed oil mixed with a little 
lamp black, is suitable. The entire boiler may also be 
painted with either of these when necessary. 

Cleaning the Boiler. No fixed rule can be given as to 
the frequency with which a boiler should be washed out. 
In some localities it is necessary to clean it twice a week, 
while in others, where the water is almost perfectly clean 
and pure, once in six weeks is sufficient. In emptying the 
boiler preparatory to cleaning, be sure that all of the fire is 
out, and that the steam pressure is below ten pounds before 
opening the blow-off valve. This is necessary, in order to 
prevent the mud from becoming baked on the tubes and 
sheets. See that the fire door, smoke-box door and drafts 
are all closed to prevent the boiler from cooling too quickly. 
To clean the boiler, remove the plugs or hand-hole plates 
in the water-leg and also the one at the bottom of the front 



114 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

tube-sheet. Wash the boiler thoroughly with a hose, using 
as much pressure as possible. Most of the sediment will 
be found around the "water-leg" and along the bottom of 
the barrel. In some localities, sediment lodges against 
the fire-box tube-sheet, causing the tubes to leak. When 
this happens, a plug is necessary in the boiler barrel above 
this sheet so that the sediment can be washed off with 
a hose when the boiler is cleaned out. 

Packing Hand-Hole Plates. After the boiler has been 
cleaned, the hand-holes must be re-packed, for it seldom 
happens that a gasket can be used the second time. For 
re -packing, it is best to use the purchased gaskets, which 
can be bought cut ready for use. If preferred, they may 
be cut from sheet rubber packing by the engineer. Other 
substances, such as sheet asbestos, card-board, straw- 
board, or rubber belting are sometimes used, but the most 
satisfactory material for this purpose is two-ply sheet 
rubber, which is about one-eighth of an inch thick. The 
gasket should be cut so as to fit closely around the flange 
on the plate and should lie flat. Before the hand-hole plate 
is replaced, the nut should be oiled and screwed back and 
forth the whole length of the thread on the bolt, using a 
wrench if necessary, until it may be easily turned with the 
fingers. The inside of the boiler plate and the face of the 
hand-hole plate, where the packing touches, should be 
scraped as clean and smooth as possible. Care must be 
taken in inserting the plate, to prevent displacing the 



THE BOILER 115 

gasket. When the hand-hole plate is in place, the nut 
should not be screwed down too tightly, when the engine 
is cold, as the gasket may be injured so that it would not 
stand steam pressure. It is best to screw up the nut only 
moderately tight when cold, and turn it up a little more 
with a wrench when steam begins to show on the gage, 
and then a little more from time to time until the steam 
gage shows working pressure. In this way, the rubber 
has a chance to soften with the heat and adapt itself to the 
iron surfaces. 

Cleaning the Tubes. The tubes should be cleaned at 
least once each day, whether in burning coal, wood or 
straw. The tube scraper is adjustable, and may be set 
out while in the tube by turning the rod to the right. 
Turning the rod to the left decreases the size of the 
scraper. Soot is a very poor conductor of heat, and even 
a thin coating of it affects the efficiency of the boiler to 
a considerable extent. It is therefore, essential to keep 
the scraper well set out, so that all the soot will be removed. 

Expanding and Beading the Tubes. Leaky tubes 
should be fixed the first time the engine cools. When the 
steam no longer shows on the gage, remove the ash-pan 
bottom and grates ; also the bricks, if the engine be a straw 
burner. If the leaks be only slight ones, they may be 
stopped by simply using a beading tool. To do this clean 
the end of the tube and the tube sheet and place the long 
or guiding end of the tool within the tube. Use a small 



Il6 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

hammer, and with light blows bead the tube all around, 
moving the tool slightly at each blow. The beading tool 
may be used when there is water in the boiler, but care 
must be taken to use only very light blows of the hammer 
or the concussion will be transmitted by the water and 
loosen other tubes. Having water in the boiler when 
beading the tubes has the advantage of showing the leaks 
so that it may be known when the tube is tight. If the 
leaks be more serious, it will be necessary to use an ex- 
pander. The expander requires considerable care and 
some experience to use, and in the hands of an inexper- 
ienced or careless workman, may cause great damage 
by distorting the flue sheet, or rolling the tubes thin and 
worthless. In using the roller expander, place the flange 
against the tube sheet and drive the pin in with a few light 
blows. Then turn it back and forth with a wrench until 
it loosens. Drive the pin in again, and repeat the opera- 
tion several times. The roller expander may be used when 
there is water in the boiler. If a spring or plug expander 
be used, be sure that it is the right size, and is made to fit 
the thickness of the flue sheet in your boiler. This is very 
important. To use the spring expander, place it within 
the tube with the shoulder well up against the tube sheet. 
Drive in the taper pin with a few light blows and then 
jar it out by striking it on the side. Repeat several times, 
turning the expander a little each time, until it has made a 
complete revolution. The spring expander cannot be usexl 



THE BOILER 117 

when there is water in the boiler, as the jar of the hammer- 
blows will be transmitted to the other tubes and loosen 
them. Use plenty of oil on either style of expander, and 
carefully clean the end of the tube of soot and scale before 
inserting the tool. Care must be taken, in expanding" 
the tubes, not to expand them so hard as to stretch or en- 
large the hole in the tube sheet, and thereby loosen the 
adjoining tubes. When all of the leaky tubes have been 
expanded, they must be beaded down against the sheet 
with the beading tool. 

Danger of Using an Old Boiler. There is danger of a 
boiler exploding with plenty of water in it, if any part 
has corroded or been weakened so that a considerable por- 
tion of it is liable to give way at any time. The water 
in a steam boiler under pressure, is explosive, and any- 
thing that reduces the pressure suddenly, will precipitate 
an explosion. Return flue boilers are especially dangerous 
when old, on account of the weakness of the large flue. 

How to Test a Boiler, To test an old boiler, so that 
one is sure of its exact condition, is not an easy matter. 
One method is by tapping with a small hammer, but when 
coated with scale, this is not easy, even for an expert. 
We advise making the "cold water test" as follows : Fill 
the boiler nearly full of water and build a little fire to heat 
the water luke-warm. When this is done, withdraw the 
fire, fill the boiler to the top of the dome and attach a 
small hand pump. The steam gage will register the 



Il8 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

pressure, which may be anything desired. The chill is 
taken off the water as the boiler is less liable to be strained 
when the iron is a little warm. The best way to test it 
is to go over the boiler with a straight-edge, carefully 
noting how much the sheets are out of shape. This should 
be done first with no pressure, then repeating, increasing 
the pressure with the pump about twenty-five pounds at 
a time. On a locomotive boiler, the straight-edge should 
be placed between the stay bolts. The parts exposed to 
the greatest heat should be examined particularly, as 
should also the bottom of the shell and along the riveted 
seams, where it is liable to be corroded. If there be 
any doubt about any part, or if the straight-edge shows 
that the sheets spring or bulge with the pressure, the 
only way to be sure is to drill a small hole and determine 
the thickness. If found to be safe, the hole may be made 
tight by tapping and screwing in a copper plug. 

Another Method of Testing Boiler. A boiler may 
be tested without using a pump. In this case the boiler is 
filled with water to the very top of the dome before the 
fire is built, and the expansion of the water, as it increases 
in temperature, gives the desired pressure for testing. 
The boiler may be filled by removing the whistle or the 
pop-valve and pouring the water through its pipe. The 
throttle and all of the openings from the boiler must be 
closed before the fire is built. Straw should be used as 
fuel, as a fire of it may be quickly checked. When other 



THE BOILER 119 

fuel, such as pine kindling wood is used, very little should 
be allowed in the fire-box, and the fire carefully watched. 
Enough dirt, sand or ashes should be at hand to check 
the fire at any instant. The pressure must be closely 
watched, and if it shows a tendency to rise too rapidly, 
or go too high, the fire must be covered. The pop-valve 
will open at the point at which it is set, in the same way as 
for steam pressure. 

Amount of Pressure. It is not advisable to test an 
old boiler which was designed to carry one hundred and 
thirty pounds or less at a greater pressure than one hun- 
dred and fifty pounds, as higher pressures are apt to 
strain and weaken the boiler. When a boiler has been 
tested at one hundred and fifty pounds cold water pressure, 
it may be used at a working pressure of one hundred and 
twenty-five pounds. It has been common to make the 
pressure for the hydraulic test greater than the desired 
working pressure by fifty per cent., but many engineers 
now believe that this strains a boiler unnecessarily and 
consequently such high test pressures are not recom- 
mended except where required by law. 

Sweating. Inexperienced operators in starting a fire 
in a new boiler are sometimes deceived by the appearance 
of moisture on the tube-sheets which they take to be leak- 
age. However, this is nothing but the moisture in the 
gases passing through the tubes collecting on the cold 



120 SCIENCK 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

surface of the tube-sheets. This has been incorrectly 
called ''sweating," but is really condensation. 

Temperature of Water and Steam in a Boiler. Al- 
though water boils in an open vessel at 212 degrees Fah- 
renheit, if it be confined, a pressure will be developed, 
which will prevent it from boihng until a higher tempera- 
ture is reached. A certain relation exists between the 
pressure and temperature of the steam in a boiler and for 
any given pressure there is a corresponding temperature. 
This holds true only for what is called "saturated steam," 
that is, steam that is not heated after it is taken away from 
the water where it was generated. Water in a boiler and 
under the same pressure as the steam has practically the 
same temperature as the steam. 

TEMPERATURES CORRESPONDING TO STEAM PRESSURES. 

lbs. — 212.0 degrees R 

25 lbs. r= 266.6 degrees F. 

50 lbs. r= 297.5 degrees F. 

75 lbs. = 319.8 degrees F. 
100 lbs. = 337.6 degrees F. 
125 lbs. = 352.6 degrees F. 
150 lbs. = 365.6 degrees F. 
175 lbs. = 377.2 degrees F. 
200 lbs. = 887.6 degrees F. 




CHAPTER IX 

THE TRACTION GEARING 

'HEN the traction gearing is used only in mov- 
ing the engine from place to place, very little 
attention need be given to it. When, however, 
the engine is used for plowing or for hauling freight, the 
gearing must receive careful attention in order to prevent 
the possibility of expensive repairs. The parts which 
require special attention on engines used for hauling heavy 
loads are the lower cannon bearing and the bearing for 
the intermediate gear. The pinions on the counter-shaft 
should mesh properly with the gears on the traction 
wheels. These may be set deeper into mesh on "Case" 
engines by adjusting the turn-buckles in the links, called 
'^distance links," which connect the upper and lower can- 
non bearings. The springs which cari-y the weight of the 
boiler should not have too much leeway if the engine be 
used for heavy hauling. 

Oiling the Cannon Bearings. A quantity of oil may 
be poured into the upper and lower cannon bearings, which 
will insure the lubrication of the axle and counter-shaft, 
since it can only work out at the ends. The oil boxes 
should be partly filled with wool or waste, and all other 

121 



122 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 



openings stopped by carefully fitted pieces of wood, in 
order to prevent sand and other gritty substances from en- 
tering the cannon bearings. 

Lubricating the Gearing. The gearing of a traction- 
engine should be kept well lubricated. It is true that 



FLY WHEEL 




FIG. Z7' CUT SHOWING CANNON BEARINGS AND GEARING. 

many men argue that grease collects and holds sand which 
will cause cutting of gears. To prove the fallacy of this 



THE TRACTION GEARING 



123 



belief, however, it is only necessary to observe the gearing 
on engines which have been run by men of this opinion. 
In many cases, the gearing v^ill be found more badly v^orn 
than its use would warrant. Engines for use in plowing 
or road work are sometimes provided with means for keep- 
ing a continuous flow of oil to the gears all the time the en- 
gine is moving. This is an excellent way to lubricate 
them and it greatly prolongs their wear. 

The Friction Clutch. The friction clutch is used to 
connect the engine to the traction gearing and wheels. 
By means of it, the engine may be made to travel as slowly 
as desired, while the engine proper Is running at full 
speed. A general view 
of the Case clutch is 
shown in Fig. 38, with 
the names of the various 
parts thereon. An en- 
larged view of the hub 
portion is shown in Fig. 
39. When the clutch 
is in partial engage- 
ment, the shoes (Fig. 
38) press lightly against 
the rim of the fly-v/heel, 
transmitting only part 
of its motion to the 
gearing. But when in 




FIG. 38. FRICTION CLUTCH. 



124 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 



full engagement, the shoes press so hard against the rim 
of the fly-wheel that they prevent slipping, thus locking 
the fly-wheel and pinion together. The two shoes are 
hinged to the ends of the arm. This arm has a long sleeve, 
which is loose upon the shaft, but at the end of which the 
pinion is firmly keyed. The sliding ring (Fig. 39), is 
loose upon the sleeve, and when moved toward the fly- 
wheel, straightens the toggle levers, thus pressing the shoes 

against the rim of 
the fly-wheel. The 
sliding ring is 
moved by means 
of the trunnion 
ring which r e - 
mains stationary, 
but allows the slid- 
ing ring to revolve 
within it. The 
trunnion ring is 
held to the sliding 
ring by means of 
the clamp ring. 
Adjusting the Clutch. The wear on the shoes is 
taken up by means of the turn-buckles in the toggle levers. 
They should be so adjusted that the toggle levers will just 
pass the straight line when the clutch is in engagement, 
thus relieving the trunnion ring of all side friction; they 
should also be so adjusted as to produce equal tension on 




SLIDING RING' 

TRUNION RING 

CLAMP RING 

FIG. 39. SECTION OF HUB 
PORTION OF CLUTCH. 



THE TRACTION GEARING 125 

both shoes, or undue friction will be produced on the slid- 
ing ring making the lever hard to handle. A good way to 
adjust the turn-buckles is to apply a large wrench to them, 
when the clutch is in engagement, and lengthen the toggle 
levers until the shoes are pressed hard against the rim. In 
this manner, the shoes can be given equal and sufficient 
pressure and when the clutch is drawn out of engagement, 
the shoes will clear the rim. Of course, the jam-nuts 
must be loosened before adjusting, and tightened after- 
wards. The inside end of the fly-wheel hub should touch 
the hub of the clutch arm, or the sliding ring cannot carry 
the toggle levers beyond the straight line. This happens 
when the fly-wheel has become loosened and worked to- 
wards the end of the shaft. The wooden shoes are easily 
replaced when worn out. Examine the clutch and see 
that it is properly adjusted before starting up or down a 
very steep hill. If it be in good order, it will not fail to 
do its work. 

Oiling the Clutch. When the engine is traveling, the 
entire clutch moves together, with the exception of the 
trunnion-ring. This, then, should be oiled when the en- 
gine is on the road. When threshing, the clutch remains 
stationary, while the shaft revolves within it. The long 
sleeve should then be oiled and also the end of the fly- 
wheel hub where it comes in contact with the end of the 
sleeve. There are eight or nine oil-holes in the sleeve, 
three of which are drilled between the teeth of the pinion. 
There is also an oil-hole in the upper trunnion of the trun- 



126 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

nion-ring. The clutch sleeve is most liable to wear in 
plowing or hauling where the clutch is frequently used. 
In this class of work, the sleeve of the clutch-arm must 
be kept well lubricated. 

The Differential Gear. In order to have both traction 
wheels pull, when the engine is traveling either forward or 
backward, and at the same time allow one wheel to travel 
further than the other in turning corners, the differential 
gear is necessary. It transmits the power from the inter- 
mediate gear to the two counter-shaft pinions, which mesh 
with the spur gears on the traction wheels. The four 
bevel pinions are carried by the center casting, and mesh 
with two bevel gears, one of which is cast in one piece with 
the right-hand counter-shaft pinion (which is loose upon 
the shaft), and the other of which is keyed to the counter- 
shaft and dfives the left-hand counter-shaft pinion (which 
is also keyed to the shaft). It will be seen that when the 
engine travels straight ahead, both counter-shaft pinions 
turn with the shaft and the whole differential revolves as 
one piece. In turning corners, however, the bevel pinions 
revolve, permitting one of the counter-shaft pinions to re- 
volve faster than the other, thus allowing the traction 
wheels to accommodate themselves to the curve of the road. 
The differential spur wheel is a separate piece from the 
center casting, the power being transmitted from the rim 
to the center casting through coil springs, which relieve 
the gearing of the shocks of starting and stopping the en- 
gine. 



THE TRACTION GEARING 



127 



Locking the Differential. When both traction wheels 
have resistance, they pull equally, but if the engine be 
"jacked up" until one of them is off the ground and free to 
turn, then when the engine is started, the differential gear 
will allow the free traction wheel to revolve at twice its 



SPUR GEAR 

SPRINGS 
-OIL 
CENTER WHEEL 




■^OIL GRCOV^ 
COUNTERSHAFT ! ; 





FIG. 40. THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR^ SHOWING SPRINGS. 

usual speed, w^hile the traction wheel on the ground will 
scarcely pull at all. Revolving at twice its usual speed 
means that the free traction wheel makes, for example, 
one revolution to nine of the fly-wheel, instead of, to the 
usual eighteen. Often, when one wheel is in a slippery 
place, it will spin around, while the other on solid ground 
remains still without pulling at all. To provide for such 



128 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

emergencies, the hub of the left traction wheel is made so 
that a pin can be inserted and both wheels locked to the 
axle. This, of course, makes both traction wheels revolve 
together, and prevents the differential gear from working. 
The engine must be steered straight when the lock-pin is 
used, or broken gearing is liable to result. 

Oiling the Differential. There are several moving 
parts within the differential gear which should be oiled 
occasionally. The bevel-pinions revolve about their 
shafts. An oil-hole is drilled through the center of each 
of these shafts to provide for oiling them, as shown in Fig. 
40. The center wheel turns on the hub of the left-hand 
or inside bevel-gear, when the differential-gear works, and 
accordingly it should be oiled occasionally through the hole 
provided for this purpose in the bevel-gear hub, as shown 
in Fig. 40, which applies to all except the no horse-power 
engine. The oil passes into a chamber, then along the 
groove and out through the radial holes to the journal. 
The oil also works farther along the groove and oils right- 
hand countershaft pinion where it turns on the shaft. On 
the no horse-power engine, there is no oil groove in the 
shaft. The oil holes in the hub of the inside bevel gear 
carry the oil direct to the bearing of the center wheel, and 
the right-hand countershaft pinion is provided with holes 
in its hub for oiling the shaft. The hub of the left-hand 
traction wheel turns upon the axle in turning comers, and 
therefore should be oiled occasionally. This is done by 
removing the cap-screws in the hub of the traction wheel. 




CHAPTER X 

WATER-TANKS 

iHE threshing outfit, to be complete, must be pro- 
vided with first-class water-tanks. A leaky tank 
is very apt to cause delay. One that is liable to 
break down may entirely cut off the water supply for a 
time. The axles are wet much of the time and therefore, 
rot very fast and are apt to break without warning. Wait- 
ing for water for any cause should not be tolerated by the 
man in charge of a threshing outfit, and one whose duty 
it is to haul water should never allow the rig to be idle for 
lack of it. In localities where the farms are small and 
water may be had near at hand, one mounted tank does 
very well, as the platform tank (with which an engine is 
usually equipped), will furnish the water while the mount- 
ed tank is being refilled. In localities where the water 
must sometimes be hauled a mile or more, two mounted 
tanks are generally used, or if only one be used, three or 
four barrels should be provided to use in addition to the 
platform tank. 

Engine Tenders. Engine tenders are convenient, es- 
pecially where most of the threshing is done around barns 
and it is necessary to back the engine more or less. The 

9 129 



130 SCIENCE O? SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

engine tender does what its name implies, that is, it keeps 
a good supply of coal and water near at hand. 

The Contractor's Fuel-Bunkers and Tanks are built for 
the purpose of serving as a tender, but they are mounted 
and carried on the engine itself instead of on separate 
trucks. They are attached to the axle cannon-bearing in 
the rear of the engine, in the same way as the common 
platform and tank, which they displace. This way of car- 
rying the fuel and water supply is more convenient than 
with a separate tender; besides, the weight being sup- 
ported on the rear axle, the engine has more tractive power 
for plow^ing or hauling. The contractor's fuel bunkers are 
detachable from the tank and can be removed when firing 
with straw. The contractor's fuel bunkers and tank may 
be attached, in the field, to any Case side-crank engine from 
30 to 75 H. P. inclusive. They are always furnished on 
the no H. P. size. 

Tank Pumps. At least one tank with each outfit 
should have a tank pump, with a capacity of about two bar- 
rels a minute. The pump is of use not only in filling the 
tank, but also in rapidly transferring water from it to the 
platform tank, engine tender, or barrels. When equipped 
with a sprinkling hose, it is also useful in washing out the 
boiler. 




CHAPTER XI 

HORSE-POWERS 

I HE horse-power, which, at one time, was the prin- 
cipal means of driving threshing-machines, is still 
used to a considerable extent for this purpose. 
With a sufficient number of good, strong horses, this means 
of supplying the motive power for threshing is very satis- 
factory, and, owing to the fact that the investment involved 
in a horse-power outfit is considerably less than is required 
for a steam rig, it is probable that the horse-power will 
continue its usefulness in this industry for many years to 
come. The present style of metal-frame power is superior 
to the wood-frame because it is not subject to atmospheric 
conditions, which continually cause the swelling and shrink- 
ing of wood, disturbing the gearing. 

Starting a New Horse-Power. The first thing to do 
in preparing a new power for work is to carefully clean 
the cinders from the oil-boxes. Next, oil each of the bear- 
ings and thoroughly grease all the gearing, turning the 
power by hand until the entire wearing surface is well lub- 
ricated. A new power should be run at least half an hour 
before being coupled to the separator or other machine to 
be run. If the horses be nervous, because unused to the 

131 



132 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

work, put a man with each team until they are accustomed 
to the noise and to traveUng in a circle. 

Setting a Horse-Power. A horse-power, to work 
properly, must be securely held in position. To do this, 
it is necessary to use at least four stakes, each of which 
should be about three feet long. The power should be set 
in alignment with the separator so that the tumbling-rods 
are as straight as possible. As it is almost impossible to 
secure the power so that it will not shift slightly when 
started, it is best to make allowance for this when setting. 
The line of rods cannot be straight horizontally, as one end 
must attach to the spur-pinion shaft of the power and the 
other to the bevel-gear shaft of the separator, while the 
second rod from the power must lie near the ground in or- 
der to allow the horses to walk over it. The angles in the 
line of rods necessary to meet these conditions are taken 
care of by the knuckles connecting them, but the angles 
should be carefully divided so that they are as slight as 
possible at each knuckle. When run at great angles, 
knuckles consume considerable power and cause excessive 
and unnecessary work on the part of the horses. 

Lubrication of the Horse-Power. There are two bull- 
pinion boxes (an upper and lower), and two center-boxes 
at each end, making eight boxes in all, to be oiled on the 
bull-pinion shafts. There are also two spur-pinion shaft 
boxes and the journals of the traverse-rollers to be oiled. 
All the gearing and the bottom and the top of the bull- 



HORSE-POWERS 



133 



wheel rim should be coated with good axle grease. When 
the grease becomes hard and caked with dirt, it should be 
cleaned off and fresh grease applied. 

Connecting the Equalisers. The following cut shows 
a top view of a fourteen-horse power with "sweeps," braces 




FIG. 41. TOP VIEW OF POWER WITH SWEEPS ATTACHED. 

and equalizer-rods attached. In hooking the equalizer- 
rods, always hook the ends of two rods in the end ring of 



134 



SCIE^NCE 01^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 



the chains. The ring near the center of each chain is 
merely a stop and the rods should never be hooked into it. 
Speed of the Tumbling-Rods. The use of the sixteen- 
cog pinion, which gives one hundred and one revolutions 
of the tumbling- rods to one round of the horses, is recom- 
mended, and will ordinarily run the cylinder of a ''Case" 
separator at the proper speed. The following table gives 
a complete list of spur-pinions for "Case" horse-powers, 
any of which may be obtained if desired. 






c 

41 O 

o o 3 h-^^ S.'E^ a"^^ 5!S 

Iz; pq ;5 «£^ w£?a w£?^ wp. 



4i^W 
4 W 
4^W 
9 W 

7 W 
4^W 

8 W 
212W 

A212W 
213W 
A9W 
A7W 
A8W 







inzi 


MJ^ C 


ba^C 




.a 






•S|E 


J3 


H 


i^ 


E « ?i 


iSa 


a 






■£- 2 tn 


i ■« UJ 


c 




Ui 


<4-l 







"^ 


J3 


°T> 


"Omh 


■tJij-i 


«i 


g 




w- ^ 


<U •'- M 


u 
O 

P3 


3 




cH£?^ 


10 UCSJ 


Uh 


15 


107 


267 


241 


Uh 


16 


101 


252 


227 


IH- 


17 


95 


237 


214 


m 


18 


90 


225 


202 


m 


20 


81 


202 


182 


m 


21 


76 


190 


171 


m 


22 


73 


182 


164 


1/2 


15 


107 


267 


241 


1/2 


16 


101 


252 


227 


1/2 


17 


95 


237 


214 


1/2 


18 


90 


225 


202 


1?^ 


20 


81 


202 


182 


1K2 


22 


73 


182 


164 



Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 



Separator Side-Gear. A separator must be fitted with 
a side-gear, or a jack must be used, in order to be driven 
by means of a horse-power. A speed of 750 revolutions 



HORSE-POWERS 135 

for the twenty-bar or 1075 for the twelve-bar cyHnder of 
*'Case" separators fitted with a side-gear, requires a tumb- 
ling-rod speed of about 227 revolutions per minute. The 
required speed of the tumbling-rods is found, in each case, 
by multiplying the number of revolutions of the cylinder 
by the number of teeth on the cylinder-pinion and dividing 
the product by the number of teeth on the bevel-gear. For 
cylinder speed of 300 with the 20-bar separator for Beans, 
use Bevel Gear 5071T (47 teeth) and Pinion A5072T (25 
teeth) and Spur Pinion A8W on horse-power. 

Jacks for Horse-Powers. Ordinarily, a separator in- 
tended to be driven by a horse-power is fitted with a side- 
gear. However, sometimes a belt machine is driven by 
a horse-power, and for this purpose a device is used to 
change the motion of the tumbling-rods into that of a pul- 
ley from which the separator cylinder may be driven by 
means of a belt. This device is called a "jack." When a 
"jack" is used to drive a belt machine, 40 feet of drive 
belt will be needed for 12 bar and 60 feet for a 20 bar 
machine, to insure clearing "ironsides." The "Case" jack 
has a bevel-gear (208T) with sixty teeth and a pinion 
(209T) with twenty-two Heeth. The pulley (206T) is 
sixteen inches in diameter and has a six-inch face. 

Adjusting the Iron-Frame Horse-Pozvcr. It is very 
important that the bull-pinions should micsh properly with 
the bull-wheel. When the bull-pinion shafts are correctly 
set, the bull-wheel will not have more than one-sixteenth 



136 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSEUIv THRESHING 

of an inch up and down play at any point. As the web 
between the upper and lower cogs of the bull-wheel varies 
in thickness, it is best to locate the thickest place and mark 
it. This part may be then turned between the bull-pinions 
and the shaft bearings adjusted so that the gears mesh as 
deeply as possible and at the same time allow the bull- 
wheel to pass freely between them. In building powers at 
the factory leather packing is placed between the box of the 
upper short bull-pinion shaft and the main frame. It is 
the intention to shave down this leather packing from time 
to time as the bearings wear, thus allowing the bull-pinions 
to be kept in proper mesh by means of set screws. The 
box of the lower short bull-pinion shaft has no leather be- 
tween it and the main frame ; however, it can be set deeper 
in gear at any time by turning its set-screw from below. 
The main spur-wheel shaft is not adjustable and the set 
screws bearing against its boxes are used only to prevent 
them from becoming loose in their slots. Adjustable 
slides are placed above and below the bull-wheel. Those 
below have set-screw adjustment, and should be adjusted, 
as they wear, so that the bull-wheel just clears the lower 
bull-pinions. The top slides prevent the up and down 
movement of the bull-wheel, and should be set down as 
they wear. The traverse-rollers prevent the bull-wheel 
from crowding endwise on the bull-pinions. They should 
be set out by the key adjustment as they wear. The spur- 
pinion frame is secured by four five-eighths inch bolts in 



HORSE-POWERS 137 

slotted holes. These allow adjustment of the pinion so 
that it may be made to mesh properly with the spur-wheel. 
These gears, when properly adjusted, should not have more 
than one-sixteenth of an inch clearance under the points 
of the teeth, and pinion shaft should be parallel with the 
spur-wheel shaft. 

Caution Concerning the Bull-Pinion Boxes. The bull- 
pinion boxes, 45 W and 45>4W or 81 ^W and 81 ^W, 
have flanges which hook over the outside of the main 
frame, thus preventing them from crowding toward the 
center. When these boxes have been removed, care must 
be taken in replacing them to insure these flanges hooking 
over the outside of the frame, for if they be placed too far 
toward the center of the power, these flanges may come in 
contact with the box seat and prevent the bull-pinions from 
meshing as deeply as they should with the bull-wheel. To 
prevent their getting loose, the large set-screws are locked 
by means of small set-screws, ^^^hich bear against their 
threads. 

Removing the Shafts. To take out the spur-wheel 
shaft, remove the four bolts that secure the cross-pieces to 
the main frame, and drop them, together with the spur- 
pinion frame, to the ground. Next remove the four bolts 
securing the bull-pinion boxes and those securing the center 
boxes, after which the spur-wheel shaft may be taken out 
without disturbing the gears keyed to it. The short bull- 
pinion shafts have trunnion-boxes at their inner ends. 



138 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSI^UIv THRESHING 

which permit movement sufficient to allow the shaits to 
be removed. It is necessary to remove the wood piece 
with slide attached, which is on the rear axle. 

Reversing the Gearing. The bull-wheel may be 
turned over, the short shafts interchanged and the spur- 
wheel shaft reversed (end for end), so that the teeth of all 
the gearing may be worn on both their faces. 

Reverse Motion of Tumbling-Rods. The direction in 
which the tumbling-rods revolve may be reversed so that 
they turn in the same direction as that in which the horses 
walk, instead of turning, as usual, in the opposite direction. 
When reverse motion is necessary for driving machinery 
other than *'Case" separators, the following extra pieces 
will be needed : one steady-bearing, 104W ; one short tumb- 
ling-rod, oi25\V; and one extra knuckle. To attach the 
parts, proceed as follows: First, bore a one and one-half 
inch hole in rear axle, two and three-eighths inches from its 
top and five and one-half inches from the center of the bolt 
holding the casting, 184W or 222 W. Then bolt steady- 
bearing, 104W, on the inside of the axle with seven-six- 
teenths by four and three- fourths inch bolts. Next put 
the knuckle on the spur-pinion shaft and connect it with the 
short rod, 0125W, which passes through the casting, 
104W, and through the hole in the axle. 

Attaching Truck-Brake to Iron-Frame Horse-Power. 
Put the brake pipe under the main frame with casting 
210W, face down and on the right-hand side. The pipe 



HORSE-POWERS 139 

is located between the two five-eighths inch hooks and rear 
wheel, the short ends of the hooks coming outside of the 
iron frame. In order to prevent the nuts from working 
loose, the ends of the hooks may be riveted. When this is 
done, casting 23 iW may be bolted on top of the flange 
of the main frame. A hole to receive it will be found on 
the front end of the power frame. Next insert the iron 
lever into its socket, 210W, and tighten the set-screws, 
which should not be tightened too much, or they will cause 
unnecessary strain on casting 210W. Put the ratchet in 
casting 232W with the hole down and with the notches 
turned towards the front. Then, put it in the notch that 
holds the brake from the wheels, and bolt it to the brake 
lever below. Place the brake-block casting, 208W, on the 
right end of the pipe and 209W on the left ; bring the blocks 
against the wheels and turn the set-screws up tight ; then 
loosen and remove, and with a file or cold chisel, flatten 
a place on the pipe for the set-screws. This will prevent 
the pipe from turning in these castings. The pipe is coun- 
tersunk for the set-screws in 210W, these set-screws being 
tightened at the factory. The key with straps should be 
nailed to the driver's platform. This is used to prevent 
the brake from dropping onto the wheels when not wanted. 
The brake is applied by the foot. Do not press the ratchet 
down harder than necessary. 

The Spur-Wheel and Bull-Pinion Shafts. The key- 
seats of these shafts are cut in line with each other and 



I40 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

those in the bull-pinions and inside-pinions are cut with 
reference to one of their teeth so that when the pinions are 
keyed to the shaft, their teeth will be in line. It will be 
seen that if the shaft has been twisted so that the teeth of 
the pinions are even slightly out of line, the power cannot 
be made to run properly. A new spur-wheel shaft is the 
only remedy for such a condition. 

Work Done by Horses. The sweeps of the twelve- 
horse-power and smaller sizes are twelve feet and seven 
inches long, and their ends move in a circle the circumfer- 
ence of which is seventy-nine feet. The sweeps of the 
fourteen-horse power are fourteen feet long, and their ends 
move in a circle, the circumference of which is eighty-nine 
feet. Horses ordinarily travel around the seventy-nine 
foot circle two and one-half times a minute, and around the 
eighty-nine foot circle two and one-fourth times a minute, 
in either case covering about twO' and one-fourth miles per 
hour. The term "horse-power" (the standard measure of 
power) is defined as the power necessary to raise 33,000 
pounds one foot per minute. A horse walks two hundred 
feet per minute in traveling around the eighty-nine foot 
circle two and one-quarter times per minute so that to do 
work equal to one "horse-power" it is necessary for it to 
pull only one hundred and sixty-five pounds, which is the 
quotient of 33,000 divided by 200. This quotient does 
not allow for the friction of the machine. As the efficiency 



HORSE-POWERS 141 

of the horse-power is about 80 per cent., each horse will 
pull about 200 pounds on the whiffletree. 

The Number of Horses. When desired for light 
work, the regular twelve-horse power with six sweeps may 
be used with only six horses by tying up equalizers on the 
empty sweeps and attaching teams to alternate sweeps, or 
by hitching a single horse to each sweep. In the same 
manner any of the other sizes of horse-powers may be used 
with half the usual number of horses. Since different 
numbers of sweeps are used the holes in the bull-wheel are 
marked with dots so that the brackets and end-supports for 
the sweeps may be easily placed in their proper positions. 
One of each of these castings should be first bolted to the 
holes with three dots near them for this set of holes is used 
with any number of levers. Bull-wheel 89W has the dots 
at the side of the holes for twelve horses, inside of the holes 
for ten horses, and outside of the holes for eight horses. 
Bull-wheel loW has the dots at the sides of the holes for 
twelve horses, inside of the holes for ten horses and out- 
side of the holes for fourteen horses. 



142 



SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 



PARTS USED ON IRON AND WOOD FRAME POWERS. 



8 and 10 
Horse Size 



4^W 

212 W 

0122 W 

89 W 

2 W 

90 W 
0121 W 

3 W 

0123 W 
81^W 
Sl^W 

220 W 

121 W 

122 W 
227 W 

188 W 

189 W 

190 W 
225 W 
193 W 

218 W 

219 W 
197 W 
199 W 

229 W 

230 W 
204 W 

214 W 

215 W 

216 W 

217 W 

55 W 

56 W 

19 W 

20 W 

48 W 

49 W 

50 W 
52 W 
75 W 
76^W 
78 W 
82 W 

163 X 



12 and 14 


Iron or 


Horse , 


Size 


Wood 
Frames 


4>^W 


Wood 


212 


w 


Iron 


0122 


w 


Both 


10 


w 


Both 


15 


w 


Both 


16 


w 


Both 


0121 


w 


Both 


43 


w 


Both 


0124 


w 


Both 


45 


w 


Both 


45>^W 


Both 


182 


w 


Iron 


183 


w 


Iron 


185 


w 


Iron 


187 


Vv^ 


Iron 


188 


w 


Iron 


189 


vv 


Iron 


190 


w 


Iron 


191 


w 


Iron 


193 


w 


Iron 


218 


w 


Iron 


219 


w 


Iron 


197 


w 


Iron 


199 


w 


Iron 


202 


w 


Iron 


203 


w 


Iron 


204 


w 


Iron 


214 


w 


Iron 


215 


w 


Iron 


216 


w 


Iron 


217 


w 


Iron 


12 


w 


Wood 


13 


w 


Wood 


19 


w 


Wood 


40 


w 


Wood 


48 


w 


Wood 


49 


w 


Wood 


50 


w 


Wood 


52 


w 


Wood 


75 


w 


Wood 


761/^ W 


Wood 


78 


w 


Wood 


82 


w 


Wood 


163 


X 


Wood 



NAME OF PART 



Spur-pinion. 

Spur-pinion. 

Spur-pinion shaft. 

Bull-wheel. 

Bull-pinion. 

Inside-pinion. 

Inside-pinion shaft. 

Spur-wheel. 

Spur-wheel shaft. 

Half bull-pinion box. 

Other half bull-pinion box. 

Cast frame for power. 

Rear-axle bracket, R. H. 

Rear-axle bracket, L. H. 

Top cap for bull-pinion box. 

Top slide holder. 

Top slide for bull-wheel. 

Bottom cap for bull-pinion box. 

Center-box for spur-wheel shaft, R. H. 

Inside trunnion box for shaft. 

Front support for spur-gear frame. 

Rear support for spur-gear frame. 

Support for short shaft, center-box, L. H. 

Support for short shaft, center-box, R. H. 

Support for bull-wheel slide, Rear. 

Support for bull-wheel slide, Front. 

Slide under bull-wheel. 

Spur-gear frame. 

Cap for spur-gear frame. 

Brake-wheel. 

Collar on spur-pinion shaft. 

Back support. 

Front support. 

Support for center-box. 

Center-box for spur-wheel shaft. 

Cap for spur-gear frame. 

Back stirrup for spur-gear frame. 

Front stirrup for spur-gear frame. 

Spur-gear frame. 

Arch frame. 

Inside-box, inside-pinion shaft. 

Cap to hold bull-pinion box. 

Slide under bull-wheel. 

Brake-wheel. 



Page. 
Chapter I Starting- and Setting- a Separator 147 

ir The Cylinder, Concaves and Beater 153 

III The Straw-Rack and Conveyor 167 

IV The Cleaning- Apparatus 169 

V Threshing- with a Reg-ularly Equipped Separator .181 

VI Threshing- with a Specially Equipped Separator. .191 

Vir The Pulleys and Belting- of a Separator 207 

VIII Lubrication and Care of the Separator 219 

IX Feeding- the Separator 227 

X The Straw Stackers 233 

XI The Grain Handlers 241 



10 




CHAPTER I 

STARTING AND SETTING A SEPARATOR 

OME separators are shipped from the factory "set- 
up" with pulleys and all parts put on and all attach- 
ments in place. Others, for compactness, are 
shipped as they are stored, with tailings-elevator removed 
and tied on the deck, pulleys and other parts packed inside 
the machine, and the attachments "knock-down" — that is, 
taken apart and small parts boxed. For ocean shipment, 
separators are taken apart so that all parts may be boxed. 

Setting Up. In setting up a dismantled separator, care 
should be taken to see that all nuts and keys are properly 
tightened. The pulleys must be set in line to insure the 
belts running properly. The cuts shov/ing belting ar- 
rangement will aid in placing the pulleys in their proper 
position. If the box of parts contains a list of its contents, 
the names and numbers will also help in determining the 
position of each. The crank-shaft which drives the straw- 
rack and conveyor should be put in with the long end to 
the right (when looking at the machine from the front). 

Starting a New Separator. A new machine should be 
set up and run an hour or so, before attempting to thresh 
any grain. Before putting on the belts, look into the ma- 

147 



148 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSi^UIv THRESHING 

chine on the straw-rack, conveyor and fan, then turn each 
shaft by hand a few revolutions to make sure there is noth- 
ing loose or misplaced. Be sure that the two bolts, one 
on each side, which fasten the conveyor-extension to the 
conveyor side-rails are perfectly tight ; otherwise, this ex- 
tension will immediately begin to hammer itself and other 
parts to pieces. After the machine has been run awhile, 
take time tO' go over the bolts in the straw-rack, especially 
those holding the straw-rack extension to the straw-rack 
proper. Any attention paid to keeping bolts tight in vi- 
brating parts is time well spent. 

Oiling. The oil boxes should be carefully cleaned of 
cinders and dirt that may have collected during shipment, 
and the paint removed from the oil holes. Screw down 
the plugs of the grease cups on beater, fan and crank boxes 
to the end of the threads, using a wrench, if necessary, to 
clean off the paint. Fill the grease cups on beater, fan 
and crank boxes with hard oil and fill oil cups on cylinder 
boxes with a good lubricating oil. It is best to first place 
a small quantity of wool or cotton waste in the bottom of 
each oil-cup. Connect the separator with engine or other 
power, running only the cylinder for a time, and feeling 
of the boxes to ascertain whether they show any tendency 
to heat. While the cylinder is running, oil both ends of 
the crank pitmans, and the four bearings of the rock shafts. 
Take off the tightener pulley from its spindle, clean the 
spindle and its inside oil-chamber and holes, and oil the 



STARTING AND SETTING A SEPARATOR I49 

spindle before replacing it. Put on the belt driving beater 
and crank (see Fig. 46), which will put the beater, straw 
rack and conveyor in motion. Next oil the shoe-pitman 
eccentrics and the bearings of the shoe shaft if there be 
one. This shaft is driven from the fan on right side of 
machine (see Fig. 45). The fan belt, which runs over 
crank belt, but not under tightener (see Fig. 46), and the 
shoe belt may be now run on. Oil the moving parts as 
they run, occasionally screwing down the grease plugs on 
crank- and fan-shaft boxes. The chain of the tailings 
elevator should be adjusted so that it has slack enough to 
turn freely, but not enough to allow it to kink or unhook. 
After oiling the upper boxes and both bearings of the tail- 
ings auger and the four of the tailings conveyor, run on 
the elevator belt, which drives from the crank, crossed 
(see Fig. 45) . Oil the bearings of the grain auger and put 
on its belt. This belt is used on the right-hand side and 
crossed for all grain elevators except the No. 4 bagger, 
v/hich may be used on either side. When this bagger is 
used on the right-hand side, then the belt must be run 
straight on the left-hand side. This is also true when the 
machine has no grain-handler and only the tally-box is 
used. 

When all parts of the separator are in motion the bear- 
ings should be carefully watched to detect any tendency to 
heat, and this can best be done when the machine is run- 
ning empty, for the operator can then give it his entire 



150 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

attention. The machine has been tested and left the fac- 
tory in good running order, but dirt and grit of shipment 
by rail is liable to cause trouble and it is best to make sure 
that all the bearings are oiled. It is of great importance 
that these bearings be well oiled on the first run, as they are 
somewhat rough, and consequently require more oil and 
a longer time for it to spread over the journals. Oiling 
a shaft as it runs, allows the oil to work in and be distrib- 
uted over the whole bearing surface. 

It is well to use a mixture of two parts of machine oil 
to one of kerosene for the first oiling. This will clean out 
the bearings and leave them in good condition to receive 
oil. The machine should be again oiled with undiluted 
oil before threshing. When the machine has run for an 
hour or so and everything shown to be in good order, it is 
ready for threshing. After adjusting the concaves, check 
board, sieves and blinds, to suit the kind and condition of 
grain, according to the directions given elsewhere in this 
book, grain may be run through the machine. 

Setting the Separator. The separator may do good 
work if the rear truck wheels be a few inches higher or 
lower than the front wheels, but it must always be" level 
cross-ways. Use a spirit level of good length on the rear 
axle and on the sills. A little practice or calculation will 
enable one to determine how deep a hole to dig in front of 
the high wheel in order to bring the machine level when 
pulled into it. Knowing the axles of the separator to be 



STARTING AND SE:TTING A SE:pARATOR I5I 

about twelve feet apart, it is easy to calculate how much 
the front or rear wheels must be lowered to bring the ma- 
chine level. For example, if a spirit level two feet in 
length be used and the axles are twelve feet apart, then one 
axle must be lowered or raised just six times as much as 
the end of the level. If, when placed on the sills, the front 
end of the spirit level requires raising, for example, one- 
half inch, then the rear wheels must be lowered six times 
as much, or three inches, to bring the separator level. This 
method may also be used in determining the amount to 
lower one rear wheel to bring machine level crossways, 
which, as already stated, is more important than having 
it level lengthways. In this case, however, the amount in 
comparison with the amount shown by the level is different 
for each size of separator. The hole or holes should be 
dug before the engine is uncoupled or the team unhitched, 
so that if not level, machine may be pulled out, the holes 
changed and the machine backed into them. When the 
machine is high in front, it can be quickly leveled, after 
engine or team has been removed, by cramping the front 
axle, digging in front of one wheel and behind the other, 
so that wheels will drop into the holes when pole is brought 
around square. 

»With geared machines ''bolster- jacks" are used to keep 
the "side-gear" from twisting front end of machine out of 
level. The hind axle being level, place the bolster- jacks 
in position, and screw them up so as to level the front of 



152 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSI^UL THRESHING 

machine. It is not necessary to have the front axle level, 
as the bolster- jacks will accommodate themselves to it. 

Place a block in front of the right-hand rear wheel to 
prevent the machine from being drawn forward by the belt. 
This block should be carried with the machine, so as to be 
handy when needed. 

When pulling the machine out of holes with a team, 
starting it on soft ground or on a hill, face or head the team 
around to one side, and it will move the load with about 
half the effort necessary to start straight ahead. In cramp- 
ing the front axle, but one of the hind wheels starts at a 
time. 

Setting with Reference to the Wind. The thresher- 
man cannot always choose the direction in which to set the 
machine, but when he can, he should select a position in 
which the wind will be blowing in the same general direc- 
tion as that in which the straw is moving, and preferably 
a little ''quartering," as this keeps the men out of the dust 
more than when set straight with the wind. This posi- 
tion insures greater safety from fire in case wood or straw 
is used as fuel. 

In Case of Fire, the quickest way to move the machine 
away from the stacks is to pull it out by the belt. Take 
the blocks away from the wheels, place a man at the end 
of the pole to steer, and back the engine slowly. If the 
machine be in holes or soft ground, put men at the wheels 
to assist in starting. 



CHAPTER II 

THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER 

IT is the function of the cyHnder and concaves to loosen 
the kernels of grain from the straw on which they 

grew. The ends of the cylinder teeth travel about a 
mile a minute so that the grain in going through meets 
the concave teeth with considerable force. The concave 
teeth engage with the cylinder teeth in such a way that 
the grain heads cannot pass through without being broken 
and the kernels knocked out although the straw is in contact 
with the cylinder but a fraction of a second. If the teeth 
be in good condition and a sufficient number of rows of 
concave teeth be used to suit the work, practically all of 
the grain will be knocked out. 

Cylinder Teeth. When the cylinder is new or newly 
refilled, care should be taken to keep the teeth tight until 
they become fitted to their holes and firmly seated. The 
cylinder should be gone over two or three times during the 
first week, and each tooth driven in hard with a heavy 
hammer and the nuts tightened. Afterwards they should 
be gone over often enough to be sure that they are tight 
and will not bother while threshing. A light tap with the 
hammer on the side of the tooth will produce a sound which 
will easily reveal whether or not it is tight. At the factory, 

153 



154 scii:nce of succe:ssfuIv threshing 

the teeth are driven in and tightened with a long-handled 
wrench and then driven in and tightened again, but they 
are liable to get loose the first few days unless special at- 
tention be paid them. If a tooth be allowed to remain 
loose for any length of time, the hole will become so mis- 
shapen that the tooth cannot be kept tight thereafter. The 
teeth should be kept straight, not only so they will not 
strike, but also so that they will pass at equal distances 
from the concave teeth on both sides. 

Cylinder Speed, It is very important that the cylin- 
der run at the proper speed. If run too fast, there is dan- 
ger of cracking the grain, and if run too slowly, it will not 
thresh clean. Then, too, the work of separation and clean- 
ing is very much easier if the cylinder runs at the proper 
speed and is never allowed to get below it. The motion 
must be uniform if the best results be expected, for every 
time it is allowed to get much below or above the correct 
speed, the separator is liable to waste grain. With the 
regular pulleys, the large 20-bar cylinder of the Case sep- 
arator should run at 750 revolutions per minute to give 
the proper speed to the other parts of the machine. The 
regular speed of the small or 12-bar cylinder is 1075 revo- 
lutions per minute. In threshing tough rye or oats, the 
cylinder is subjected to more work, and often runs too 
slowly if attempt be made to maintain the normal speed, 
therefore, the cylinder should run faster than usual, say, 
800 for the 20-bar and 11 50 for the 12-bar, in order that 
the other parts of the machine may run fully up to their 



THE CYIvINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER 



155 



usual speed. Some grains and legumes require special 
cylinder speed for which a change in cylinder pulleys is 
desirable. These are sriven elsewhere in this book. 







MAIN CYLINDER PULLEYS. 


Number. 


Diameter 


pace 


Bore 


MACHINE 


5564T 


6 " 


9 " 


l-^'^" 


12-Bar Wood, Special. 


7()1T 


lA" 


8 " 


Ws" 


r2-Bar Special. 


501T 


SA" 


8 " 


l%" 


r2-Bar Reg. 18" and 24". 


bOVAT 


SA" 


8 " 


ni" 


r2-Bar Wood, Regular. 


1867T 


8/2" 


8 " 


17" 

lis 


12-Bar Wood, Special. 


861T 


83.4" 


8 " 


l/s" 


r2-Bar Special. 


6004T 


954" 


9 " 


15/8" 


12-Bar Reg. 28". 


5005T 


m" 


9 " 


l/s" 


12-Bar Wood, Special. 


5006T 


9^" 


9 " 


2/8" 


r2-Bar Wood, Special. 


SOOT 


9-/8" 


8 " 


1/8" 


12-Bar Regular. 


5051T 


1014" 


9 " 


1/8" 


12-Bar Rice. 


5052T 


10^" 


9 " 


1/s" 


12-Bar Wood, Rice and 
Shredder. 


5053T 


lOA" 


9 " 


2As" 


r2-Bar Wood, Rice and 
Shredder. 


5441T 


10 " 


9A" 


2tV 


20-Bar Special. 


5367T 


11^" 


9 A" 


2t^" 


20-Bar Special. 


5368T 


12 " 


9 A" 


2h" 


20-Bar Special. 


5294T 


im" 


9 " 


C) 1 If 


20-Bar Regular. 


A5294T 


U-Vs" 


9 A" 


7 " 


20-Bar Special. 


5440T 


15/8" 


9Va" 


2i^" 


20-Bar Special. 


5369T 


16 " 


9/" 


21^5" 


20-Bar Rice. 


5372T 


26 " 


9 " 


2i^" 


20-Bar Peas and Beans. 



Ascertaining Cylinder Speed. The best way to as- 
certain the speed is by means of a revolution counter, 
but if one be not at hand, the speed may be found by count- 
ing the number of times the main drive belt goes around 
in a minute. To do this, multiply the required speed of 
the cylinder by the circumference of the cylinder pulley in 
inches and divide by 12 to reduce to feet. Dividing by 
the length of the belt in feet will give the required number 



156 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

of times belt should go around in a minute. For example : 
If cylinder be a 20-bar, its speed should be 750 and the 
regular pulley 5294T for this is 13^ inches in diameter or 
42 inches in circumference. Multiplying 750 by 42 gives 
31,500 inches as the product. Dividing this by 12 to re- 
duce to feet gives 2625 feet per minute as the required 
travel of the belt. If this be 120 feet long, dividing by 120 
gives 22 (nearly) as the required number of rounds of the 
belt per minute. With a 150 foot belt, the number of 
rounds will be nearly 18 or with 160 foot belt 17 (nearly) 
rounds. In the same manner, the required number of 
rounds can be figured for any cylinder speed, cylinder pul- 
ley or length of belt. 

Cylinder Boxes. The cylinder boxes are the most im- 
portant bearings on a separator and they must receive a 
certain amount of attention or there will be trouble. All 
Case cylinders are fitted with ball and socket self-aligning 
boxes, which practically eliminate all possibility of their 
heating from improper alignment. The boxes on 20-bar 
cylinders are about eight inches long, allowing a good bear- 
ing surface for these large cylinders and all are fitted with 
oil cups which hold a sufficient quantity of oil to amply 
lubricate the bearings. The chapter on "Lubrication and 
Hot Boxes" should be read with special reference to the 
cylinder boxes. 

To Take ''End Play" Out of the Cylinder. Loosen 
lower half of housing of box by slacking the nuts which 



THE CYUNDKR, CONCAVES AND BEATER 157 

secure it, and slide it against hub of cylinder head. The 
holes in the ironsides are slotted to allow for this end 
adjustment and also to permit the moving of the cylinder 
in case the cylinder teeth do not come exactly between the 
concave teeth. Do not crowd cylinder box so hard against 
the cylinder head as to cause danger of heating. It is best 
to leave about 1-64 of an inch end play. 

Tracking of Teeth. All regular Case 20-bar cylinders 
have five teeth which pass in the same space between the 
concave teeth, during one revolution, *'five teeth tracking" 
as it is called. The 12-bar cylinders have three teeth 
tracking. 

Cracking Grain. The cut on the following page is full 
size and shows the actual distance between the concave and 
cylinder teeth of the Case regular cylinder. It is shown to 
emphasize the importance of having the cylinder properly 
adjusted endwise and of keeping the teeth straight. Sup- 
posing all the teeth to be straight and that the cylinder be 
moved 1-16 of an inch to one end. Then instead of there 
being 1-8 of an inch space between the cylinder and con- 
cave teeth on both sides, the cylinder teeth would be 3-16 
of an inch from the concave teeth on one side and only 
1-16 of an inch from them on the other. This condition 
of affairs would allow the heads to slip through without 
being threshed on one side of the teeth and on the other 
would crack the grain and cut up the straw, thereby con- 
suming much power, increasing the difficulties of separa- 




FIG. 44. CUT SHOWING SPACE EETV/EEN TEETH — FULL SIZE. 



THE CYUNDER:, CONCAVES AND BEATER 159 

tion and making the sieves handle a large amount of chaff. 
This same condition exists when all of the teeth are more 
or less bent. The cylinder may be moved endwise, as al- 
ready explained, to give the proper spaces between the 
teeth, but the teeth must be kept straight. Too high speed 
or too many concave teeth m.ay cause cracking. 

Special Cylinders. To do good work in rice a special 
cylinder and concave are required with a wider spacing of 
the teeth than the regular ones. This gives more clear- 
ance between the cylinder and concave teeth and, together 
with a reduced speed, prevents the cylinder from cracking 
the rice. A special cylinder and concaves are also made 
for threshing peas, beans and peanuts. Either of these 
special cylinders may be put in any Case separator if the 
concaves and concave circles be changed also. Further 
information regarding threshing rice, peas, beans, peanuts, 
etc., is given elsewhere in this book. 

Balancing Cylinders. On account of the high speed at 
which cylinders run, they must be accurately balanced or 
they will not run smoothly. It is essential in balancing a 
cylinder that the weights used for this purpose be placed 
where the deficiency of weight exists. The shop practice 
is to rest the journals of a cylinder on level v/ays and put 
v/eights under center bands until the cylinder will stand at 
any point on the ways. The cylinder is then put in a frame 
having narrow, loosely fitting wooden boxes and run at a 
high speed. The parts of the journals extending beyond 



l6o science: 01^ SUCCESSI'UIv THRESHING 

the boxes are marked as it runs. These marks show the 
initiated at which end and at what point to drive the 
weights used in the final balancing. A cylinder may be 
balanced, though not as perfectly as is done at the factory, 
by resting it on ways made by placing two carpenter's 
squares on wooden horses. The squares should have 
blocks nailed on each side to keep them on edge, and should 
be carefully leveled both ways. Place the cylinder near 
the center of the ways and roll it gently. Mark with a 
piece of chalk the bar that is uppermost when it comes to 
rest. Repeat, and if cylinder stops in the same position 
three times in succession, drive a wedge under center band 
at the chalk mark. Rub off the marks and repeat until 
the cylinder comes to rest at any point. Care should be 
taken not to mar the journals in placing them on the ways. 
The cylinder may be out of balance by lack of the full 
number of teeth. 

The Concaves. All that has been said about keeping 
the cylinder teeth tight applies also to the concave teeth. 
They should be driven in and tightened as often as neces- 
sary, until they are firmly seated. In driving them in, it 
is necessary, however, to use some judgment, as the con- 
caves are of cast iron and are liable to split if the teeth are 
driven in too hard. 

Setting the Concaves. The concaves should be ad- 
justed to suit the kind and condition of grain. Four rows 
of teeth are usually required for wheat and barley, but for 



THE CYIylNDER^ CONCAVES AND BEATER l6l 

damp grain six rows will be necessary. Rye can usually 
be threshed with two rows, but the cylinder speed should 
be higher than for wheat. Oats when dry can generally 
be threshed with two rows of teeth, but flax and timothy 
will require six rows. Where four are used, they are most 
effective if one concave be placed clear back and one in 
front with a blank in the center. In hand feeding, if the 
straw be dry and brittle, the cylinder can be given more 
"draw" by placing a blank in front. Always use as few 
teeth, and leave them as low as is possible and thresh clean. 
When too many teeth are used, or when they are left higher 
than is necessary, the straw will be cut up, the grain may 
be cracked and, besides using more power, the separation 
is made much more difficult, and the sieves are obliged to 
handle an unnecessarily large amount of chopped straw. 
It is better to use two rows set clear up than four rows left 
low. Sometimes a row of teeth is taken out of a concave, 
making it possible to use one, three or five rows. 

Special Concaves. Some grains, as for example, Tur- 
key wheat, are extremely difficult to thresh from the head, 
and if it be found that the regular six rows will not thresh 
clean, a three-row concave, filled with corrugated teeth, 
should be procured. This, with two regular concaves, 
will give seven rows of teeth. Should it be necessary, 
two, or even three, three-row concaves of corrugated teeth 
may be used. The three-row concaves of corrugated teeth 
are usually used for threshing alfalfa, but for clover, the 

u 



l62 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

Special clover concaves are necessary. Information con- 
cerning them is given elsewhere in this book. 

Adjustment of Concaves. In the left side of the "iron- 
sides," or cylinder side castings, of the wood 12-bar sep- 
arator, there are screws, which press against the concave 
circle and take up the end play of the concaves. The steel 
and 20-bar wood machines have screws in both ironsides. 
When it is desired to change the concaves, raise them up 
and drop them down a few times to jar out the dust and 
dirt which has become lodged between concave circles and 
ironsides, wedging them tight. With concaves in their 
lowest position, place a stick of wood, the tooth straight- 
ener, or anything else that may be handy, between concave 
and cylinder teeth and raise the concaves so that the teeth 
cannot pass. Then roll the cylinder backward, striking 
the concaves several times with the momentum of the cyl- 
inder if necessary, until they are jarred loose and come 
up with the cylinder, as it is rolled backward by hand. The 
screws mentioned above may be loosened if necessary, 
but if they be, it should be done on one side only so as not 
to disturb the adjustment. 

Caution Concerning the Cylinder. When the separa- 
tor is belted to an engine, one should make sure that the 
engineer has closed the throttle, opened the cylinder cocks, 
and (if the engine be a traction) that the reverse-lever 
is in the center notch before changing concaves, fixing 
teeth or otherwise handling the separator cylinder. 



TH^ CYI^INDERj CONCAVES AND BEATER 163 

The Beater. In threshing very heavy, tough grain, 
if the straw be incHned to wrap the beater or if it tends 
to follow the cylinder around too far, the beater may be 
raised by taking out the blocks from between the beater 
boxes and the girt to which they are fastened on wood sep- 
arators or by moving the girts to the upper holes on steel 
machines. There is also provision in the girts for moving 
the beater back to give more room between beater and 
cross-piece, but it is very seldom necessary to move it. The 
speed of the beater is four hundred revolutions per minute 
and as its bearings are provided with hard-oil cups, a little 
attention will keep them in good running order. 

The Grates. A large percentage of the grain is sep- 
arated from the straw by the grates through which it is 
thrown with all the force acquired from the cylinder. The 
grate under the beater is adjustable and should usually be 
kept as high as possible for the separation is better when it 
is high. It should never be lowered unless absolutely 
necessary. 

The Check Board should usually be kept quite low to 
prevent the grain from being thrown to the rear of the ma- 
chine on top of the straw, where it might be carried out 
of the machine without being separated. In damp grain 
and especially damp rye or oats the check board should be 
raised to allow the straw to pass freely through the ma- 
chine, for if left down, it will retard the straw too much, 
and may cause the cylinder to wind. 




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CHAPTER III 

THE STRAW-RACK AND CONVEYOR 

IHE straw-rack and conveyor are both carried by 
studs on the rocker or "vibrating" arms, the straw- 
rack having a longer leverage than the conveyor, 
so that each counterbalances the other. They are more 
accurately balanced when the machine is in operation and 
both are loaded than when the machine is running empty. 
It is very difficult to separate grain from straw that is badly 
cut up, therefore care should be taken to use as few rows 
of concave teeth as will thresh clean from the heads. 

Speed. The most important factor in producing good 
work by the straw-rack is the speed. To do good work, 
it must make 230 vibrations per minute. Its speed can 
best be determined by using a revolution-counter on the 
crank shaft. Some persons can determine the speed by 
letting one of the pitmans or a key of one of the crank 
shaft pulleys strike one hand once every revolution, while 
holding a watch in the other hand and counting for a half 
or a full minute. The proper speed is as essential to good 
work by the conveyor sieve or ^'chaffer" as by the straw- 
rack ; if too fast, grain will go over the sieve with the chaff, 
and if too slow the sieve will be overloaded. 

The present style of straw-rack has riser supports, 

167 



i68 science: 01^ succESSi^ui. threshing 

which prevent the risers from sagging in the middle. (See 
Fig. 43). Fish-backs are nailed to the straw-rack risers, 
two on the second riser (from the front), three on the 
third and four on the fourth. The fish-backs aid mater- 
ially in separation. 

A Special Straw-Rack called the "Oregon" straw-rack 
is made for use where the straw is badly cut up or so short 
owing to the grain being headed that most of it passes 
through the regular rack. Parts can be furnished for 
making the regular rack into one of the Oregon style. 

Pounding. The crank-boxes and pitmans should be 
kept adjusted so that the machine does not make a knock- 
ing or pounding noise. The maple boxes on the straw- 
rack and conveyor are inexpensive and should be replaced 
when worn out. The pitmans shorten as they wear, and 
this, with the wear of the crank boxes, sometimes allows 
the rear vibrating arms to drop nearly to their dead-centers. 
This causes the machine to run hard, pound badly, and is 
liable to break the vibrating arms. The rear vibrating 
arms may be prevented from dropping too low in three 
ways : first, by moving the crank-shaft ; if the frame be of 
wood, the crank boxes may be moved forward by putting 
leather between them and the post ; second, by lengthening 
pitmans by putting leather over worn surface at ends or 
by getting new and longer pitmans ; and third, by moving 
the rock-shaft boxes to the rear. This last method is the 
most difficult and should it be attempted, care must be taken 
to move all the boxes exactly the same distance. 




CHAPTER IV 

THE CLEANING APPARATUS 

IHE fan and sieves separate the grain from the chaff. 
It is in the handHng of these, which constitute the 
"cleaning apparatus," more than any other part of 
the separator, that the skill of the operator or separator 
"tender," as he is called, shows itself. The local reputa- 
tion of any particular machine is largely due to its record 
as a "cleaner." 

The Fan Blinds. The position of the fan blinds regu- 
lates the amount of wind or "blast" that the fan produces. 
These should be adjusted to clean the grain without blow- 
ing it over and this adjustment can be made while the ma- 
chine is running. Both upper and lower blinds should be 
partly open. The right-hand blinds affect the left side of 
the sieve and vice versa; therefore, if grain is being blown 
over on one side, the blinds on the opposite side should be 
closed a little. Use as much v/ind as possible without 
blowing over grain. In windy weather it is necessary to 
close the blinds on the windward side of the machine more 
than those on the other side. The blast is retarded by the 
volume of chaff it is moving, hence heavy feeding, and a 
blast that is all right when the cylinder is kept full, will 

169 



170 science: 01^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

carry over grain when the machine runs empty. Steady 
feeding is therefore important on this account and the 
separator tender should let the pitchers understand that 
he cannot produce the best results without their aid, in 
keeping an even and continuous stream of grain going into 
the cylinder. 

The Wind-Board is placed in the machine so that the 
blast from the fan will strike the conveyor sieve about half 
way back. The strongest part of the blast will then pass 
through the shoe sieve near the front end which gives it a 
cleaning capacity its entire length. If the wind board be- 
comes bent or sagged so that it stands but little above the 
floor of the shoe, the grain will slide over it into the fan, 
and then be thrown clear out of the machine. To prevent 
the liability of this, belts or "traps" should not be kept in 
the fan drum. 

Pan Speed. The speed of the fan for 12-bar separator 
should be about 470 and for the 20-bar about 485 revolu- 
tions. 

Sieves. The function of all sieves is to assist the fan in 
separating the grain from the chaff and in preventing heads 
and other heavy objects larger in size than the grain from 
mingling with the clean grain. Sieves are distinguished 
from screens in that the grain being cleaned passes through 
them while it passes over a screen. 

Adjustable Sieves. To obviate the delay and trouble 
of changing sieves each time the machine threshes a dif- 



The CI.EANING APPARATUS I7I 

ferent grain, adjustable sieves have been constructed in 
which the size of the openings may be changed to suit the 
kind of grain or seed. This adjustment may be made v^hile 
the machine is running. All Case separators are regularly 
fitted with an adjustable conveyor-sieve, commonly called 
the "chaffer," adjustable conveyor-extension and adjusta- 
ble shoe-sieve. The latter should be placed in the shoe 
with the rear rod in the fourth hole and the front end high 
enough to leave only an inch between it and the heel board 
of the shoe. 

The Convey or-Bxtension or Chaff er-Bxtension carries 
the coarse chaff from the conveyor sieve to the stacker. 
The conveyor sieve should be so adjusted as to let all the 
good grain through because that which goes to the exten- 
sion and drops through it is returned with the tailings to 
the cylinder. The conveyor-extension should be coarser 
than the conveyor sieve so as to allow all the unthreshed 
heads to pass through. If they pass over it they are lost. 
The present style of adjustable conveyor extension is 
hinged to the rear of the conveyor sieve and also fastened 
to the conveyor side-rails. By loosening the bolts which 
hold it to the side rails this extension may be lifted out of 
the way to get at shoe sieves. 

Common Sieves is the name given to non-adjustable 
sieves and includes the lip, the round-hole, the oblong-hole 
and the woven-wire sieves. 

Fig. 48 shows the nine positions or notches, in which a 



172 



SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 



sieve may be placed at the fan end of the shoe, and they 
are numbered, beginning- at the top. It also shows the six 
positions for the rod at the rear end and these are also 
numbered from the top. 

To Insert Common Sieves place a long rod in the bot- 
tom of slots, leaving nuts loose. The rods at fan end of 
sieve are about ij^ inches longer than those at rear end. 
In changing from one sieve to another it is not necessary 
to remove the rod at fan end. Slide in the sieve and put 




REAR END 



FIG. 48. SHOE SHOWING POSITIONS OF SIEVE RODS. 

a short rod in the proper hole at rear. Adjust sieve to 
proper position at front end and tighten the nuts. If two 
sieves are to be used put the top one in first with rod in 
bottom of the slots. Raise it up to proper position, then 
put rod for lower sieve in the slots and slide it in below the 
other. The rod of upper sieve cannot be tightened until 
lower sieve is in place. Insert pins in the holes to hold it 
up while putting in lower sieve. Screw the nuts up quite 
tightly, but not so much as to cause the sieves to buckle. 



THE CIvEANING APPARATUS 173 

Twenty-penny wire nails may be used as pins in adjusting 
sieves. 

Screens. A screen removes particles smaller than the 
grain or seed being threshed, such as weed seeds, sand, or 
other foreign matter which is generally valueless. Some- 
times, however, a useful seed, such as timothy is screened 
out of one of the large grains, as wheat. In general, for 
weed seeds that are approximately round, the round hole 
are better than the oblong hole screens. However, the lat- 
ter are the only ones that will take out "cheat" which is 
often found in wheat. The screen lies in the bottom of the 
shoe and is held in place by hooks with thumb nuts which 
engage castings fastened on the frame of the screen. When 
a screen is used the removable strip in the bottom of the 
shoe must be taken out to allow the screenings to fall to the 
ground. All screens are liable to become clogged and in 
this condition obstruct the passage of the grain and wind. 
They should therefore be kept clean and only used when 
necessary. The list of screens is given on page 172 and 
they are illustrated on page 173. 

The Tailings Elevator returns to the cylinder for a 
second threshing the unthreshed heads and all trash 
dropped through the straw-rack which is too coarse to fall 
through the sieves and too heavy to be blown out by the 
blast. It consists of an elevator (with cups or flights 
carried on sprocket chain), into which the tailings are de^ 
livered by an auger (called the tailings auger) and a spout 



174 



SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSlFUIv THRESHING 



LIST OF COMMON SIEVES AND SCREENS. 

D. Conveyor sieve, 2 in. lip, shown below. 02600T to 02607T. 

E. Conveyor or oat sieve, V/4 in. lip, shown below. 02610T to 

02617T. 
Oat sieve, % in. lip, shown below. 02620T to 02627T. 
Wheat sieve, Vs in. lip, shown below. 02630T to 02637T. 
Wheat sieve, M in. round hole, page 175. 02770T to 02777T, 
Flax sieve, 5^2 in. round hole, page 175. 02720T to 02727T. 
Cheat screen, spec, iVx^^ in. oblong hole, page 175. 02730T 

to 02737T. 
Cheat screen, reg., -j^x^ in. oblong hole, page 175. 02640T 

to 02647T. 
Timothy sieve, tV in. round hole, page 175. 02650T to 02657T. 
Alfalfa, 5^2 in. round hole, page 175. 02670T to 02677T. 
Cockle screen, ^ in. round hole, page 175. 02680T to 02687T. 
Pea screen, fsx^ in. oblong hole, page 175. 02690T to 

02697T. 
Wheat sieve, 4^x4% mesh wire, page 175. 
Clover sieve, 12x12 mesh wire, page 175. 02830T to 02837T. 
Timothy sieve, 16x16 mesh wire, page 175. 02840T to 02847T. 
Orchard-grass sieve, #2xJ/2 in. oblong hole, page 175. 02740T 

to 02747T. 
Pea screen, l/e^H in. mesh wire, page 175. 
Dodder screen, ^^ in. round hole, page 175. 02810T to 02817T. 
Clover sieve, iV in. round hole, page 175. 02780T to 02787T. 
Note : — The above sieves are used for many other grains and 
seeds, but the few mentioned will serve to identify and explain the 
nature of the sieves. 



F. 

G. 

H. 

I. 

K. 

L. 

M. 
N. 
O. 
P. 

Q. 
R. 
T. 
U. 

W. 
X. 
Y. 




2" Up Sieve "D" 1%" Lip Sieve "E" V4" Lip Sieve "F" H" Lip Sieve "G" 
FIG. 49. LIP SIEVES. (Reduced.) 




Jo " Round Hole "X." -h" Round Hole "M." -^Y Round Hole " Y." 







5^2" Round Hole "N." i" Round Hole "O." ^2" Round Hole "I." 



liiw 





H" Round Hole ''H." t^xf" Oblong Hole "K." t^x^' Oblong Hole"L.' 

I 




^xi" Oblong Hole "U." fg x^ " Oblong Hole'T." Jxf " Mesh Wire "W." 



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16x16 Mesh Wire'T." 12x12 Mesh Wire"R." 4^x4^' Mesh Wire"Q.' 
FIG. 50. SIEVES AND SCREENS. (Full Size.) 



176 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

to carry the tailings from the end of the elevator to the 
cylinder. This spout has an auger on most separators 
and it is then called the ''tailings conveyor." The tailings 
elevator is driven from the crank-shaft with a crossed 
belt so that the chain carries the tailings up the lower pipe. 
The speed of the drive shaft at top is 185 revolutions per 
minute and the upper and lower sprockets having the same 
number of teeth, the tailings auger also runs at this speed. 

Oiling Tailings Elevator. The boxes to be oiled on 
tailings elevator are the two of the shaft at the upper end, 
the one bolted to "boot" at lower end and its mate, which 
is at the other end of the auger on opposite side of separa- 
tor. The tailings conveyor has two bearings for the small 
cross-shaft and one at each end of auger. These should 
be frequently oiled and the bevel gears kept greased. 

Adjusting Chain of Tailings Elevator. The boxes at 
the upper end of the elevator have slotted holes to allow 
them to be moved for tightening the chain carrying the 
cups. Set-screws with long threads aid in adjusting the 
boxes and in holding them in place. The chain should be 
kept tight enough to prevent it from unhooking, but it 
should have slack enough to run freely. Unlike the Grain 
Handlers, one or any number of links may be taken out to 
shorten it The short chain driving the tailings conveyor 
is tightened by lowering the brackets supporting it, the 
holes in which are slotted for this purpose. 

To Put Chain in Tailings Elevator. Tie a weight to 



The: cleaning apparatus 177. 

the end of a rope and drop it down the lower part of eleva- 
tor. Untie the weight and tie the rope to end of chain, 
and while one man is pulling on the rope from above let 
another feed the chain in from below. When chain ap- 
pears at the top, drop the rope down the upper part of the 
elevator, and when chain is started around the upper 
sprocket, pull the rope from below and feed it in as before 
to bring it to its proper place. Hook the chain at bottom, 
see that it is on the sprocket, and tighten by means of ad- 
justing screws at the top. Turn the pulley at top of ele- 
vator by hand until the chain has gone once around to in- 
sure its being free from kinks. 

The Tailings are a good indication of the work the 
sieves are doing. They should be small in amount and 
contain no light chaff and very little plump grain. If too 
much good grain be returned with the tailings, ascertain 
if it comes over the shoe sieve or through the conveyor 
extension. If it be passing over the shoe sieve, probably 
this sieve is overloaded with chaff, as is sometimes the case 
when the straw is badly cut up. To remedy this, the con- 
veyor sieve should be partly closed to let less straw through. 
If, however, the good grain is going over the conveyor 
sieve and through the conveyor extension, the remedy is 
just the reverse, that is, the conveyor sieve should be 
opened. The adjustment in separators with lip sieves is 
made by bending the lips, but as a usual thing, they should 

be at about a forty-five degree angle. Grain returned in 
12 



178 SCIKNCI]: OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

the tailings is apt to be cracked by the cyHnder, and when 
the tailings are heavy this is sometimes of importance. If 
very much chaff is returned it increases the difficulties of 
separation, and must be handled by the sieves again. In 
all cases have as few tailings as possible. 

The Waste in Threshing. There is not a machine built 
at the present time that will save every kernel in all kinds 
and conditions of grain. The Case will separate the grain 
from the straw better than any machine made, but to ac- 
complish the best results it must be properly operated. 
When one detects a machine wasting grain, he usually 
imagines that the quantity wasted amounts to many times 
more than it actually does. If a stream of wheat as large 
as that which runs out of a grain-drill tooth were discov- 
ered going into the straw the farm.er would probably say 
that the machine v/as wasting half the grain. Yet he 
knows that he must drive very fast to get a bushel and a 
half of wheat through each grain drill tooth in a day. 
Roughly speaking, there are 600 handfuls or a million ker- 
nels of wheat in a bushel.* This amount wasted in ten 
hours indicates that a handful or 1700 kernels is being 
wasted every minute. If farmers realized the economy of 
finishing a job as quickly as possible, irrespective of the 



*In the "Thresher World" contest of August, 1933, the bushiel 
of wheat was actually counted and found to contain 869,762 ker- 
nels. In the "Canadian Thresherman" contest of 1908, fifteen 
pounds of No. 1 Northern wheat were found to contain 257,885 ker- 
nels, or at the rate of 1,031,540 kernels per bushel. In the 1909 
"Canadian Thresherman" contest the No. 2 Northern wheat counted 
showed the number of kernels per bushel to be 1,008,089. 



T H 15 CI.K AN ING APPARATUS 1 79 

grain lost, they would not attach so much importance to 
the small amount ordinarily wasted. 

However, it is true that any separator will waste con- 
siderable grain if improperly operated. When there is 
reason to believe that a machine is wasting more than it 
should, first determine whether the grain is being carried 
over in the chaff or in the straw. 

// the Waste he at the Shoe, catch some of the chaff 
from the conveyor sieve and if grain be found, see that the 
sieve is properly adjusted for the kind of grain being 
threshed. If a common sieve be used, it should be coarse 
enough for the grain and its lips should be sufficiently bent 
open. Too high a speed will cause grain to be carried over 
the conveyor sieve. Do not use any more concave teeth 
than are necessary as the extra amount of chaff makes 
difiicult work for the sieves. See that the blinds are ad- 
justed so that the blast is no stronger than is necessary to 
clean the grain and keep the sieves working freely. If 
grain be still detected, open the adjustable conveyor sieve 
a little more. It should not be opened so much, however, 
as to overload the shoe sieve. The wind-board should 
throw the strongest blast about half way back on the con- 
veyor sieve. Carrying "traps" in the fan drum is liable 
to bend down this board which in some cases becomes so 
sagged that some kernels slide over it into the fan, are 
struck by the fan wings and thrown entirely out of the 
machine* 



l80 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 

// waste be caused by failure to separate the grain from 
the straw, first see that the speed of the crank is 230. The 
cause may be poor feeding which produces "slugging" of 
the cyHnder and the resultant variable motion. See that 
the check -board is properly adjusted. The cylinder and 
concave teeth must be kept in good order so that the grain 
will all be threshed from the heads and the straw cut up 
as little as possible. When heads missed by the cylinder 
are threshed out hy the wind stacker fan the machine is 
often criticised for poor separation when the trouble is ac- 
tually caused by a neglected cylinder and concaves. 

Why it is difHcult to separate grain from straw. Straw 
and grain to the full capacity of the cylinder pass through 
the concave teeth at the rate of about one mile (5280 feet) 
per minute, and after passing the check-board the straw 
rack moves the straw about 102 feet per minute. At these 
speeds the straw passes the length of the machine (about 
15 feet) in approximately ten seconds. The intermingled 
straw and grain move in the same direction and at the 
same rate of speed. The problem of separation is, then, 
to check and divert the course of the grain, at the same time 
allowing the straw to continue its passage through the ma- 
chine. If the grain be not interrupted in its course, it will 
pass out with the straw, while clogging will result if the 
movement of the straw be arrested for even a second. 



CHAPTER V 

THRESHING WITH A REGULARLY EQUIPPED 

SEPARATOR 

THIS chapter will deal with the threshing of those 
grains and seeds which may be successfully handled 
by a regularly equipped separator. It will include 
the threshing of wheat, rye, oats, barley, flax, buckwheat, 
millet and speltz or emmer. Those grains and seeds which 
cannot be threshed successfully without special attach- 
ments, or additions to a regularly equipped separator, will 
be treated separately in the following chapter. 

Headed Grain. The bulk of the grain grown at the 
present time is cut by harvesters and is delivered to the 
threshing machine in bundles. There are localities, how- 
ever, in which all, or nearly all, the grain is cut by headers 
and delivered to the separator loose. Bound grain is sup- 
posed to be fed to the cylinder, "heads first," and when so 
fed, the work of the cylinder is made easy as the straw 
holds the heads while the grain is being knocked out of 
them. This cannot be the case with headed grain, as usu- 
ally but little straw is left on the heads, because, to keep 
the bulk small, the header is run just low enough to get 
the heads. Other things being equal, headed grain is, 

i8i 



l82 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

then, harder to knock out of the heads than bound grain, 
but no trouble is experienced with the "Case" separator in 
headings, if the cyhnder and concaves be in good condition. 
Most of the grain raised on the Pacific coast is headed, and 
a special feeder, known as the ^'Spokane Feeder," is used, 
usually in connection with derrick-forks. In the more 
eastern headed grain districts, the mounted feeder carrier 
is used as an extension to the regular bundle feeder. 

Threshing Wheat. Ordinarily, it is not difficult to do 
good v/ork in threshing wheat with a separator which is in 
good condition. To get the best results, the cylinder, es- 
pecially, should be in good repair and it should maintain a 
uniform speed. The speed should be fully up to the regu- 
lation, 750 revolutions for the twenty-bar cylinder or 1075 
revolutions for the twelve-bar cylinder. Usually the ordi- 
nary varieties of wheat can be threshed with four rows of 
concave teeth. Before concluding that more are required, 
see that the teeth are in good condition, and that the cylin- 
der fully maintains the given speed. It is generally ad- 
mitted that four rows of concave teeth are more effective 
if a blank concave be placed between the filled concaves, 
and that the straw is less cut up if the filled concaves be 
placed together, but some good operators do not agree with 
the former statement. However, with this in mind, it will 
not be difficult for an operator to determine which arrange- 
ment is best suited to the particular conditions under which 
his machine is at work. Good operators judge by the 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 183 

work the machine is doing, what changes in the adjustment 
or arrangement of concaves or in the speed, will improve 
the work. For example, if the wheat be thoroughly- 
knocked out of the heads and there be an excessive amor.nt 
of chaff and chopped straw, it would be well to see if the 
kernels could still be threshed clean from the straw if the 
concaves were lowered a notch or two, or perhaps one filled 
concave replaced by a blank or else the speed lowered 
slightly. If any of these changes were made, the work of 
the machine as a whole would be improved, for separation 
and cleaning are made easier by reducing the amount of 
chopped straw. 

With certain conditions of the straw, in which the 
heads are easily broken off, it may be best to use a cast con- 
cave in place of the wrought grate, if the first concave 
breaks off the heads and they fall through the grate blank 
before the second concave can get action on them. If 
whole heads are found passing over the conveyor try an 
unfilled concave in place of the wrought blank. 

The adjustable-chaffer, chaffer-extension and shoe- 
sieve can be best adjusted while the machine is running, 
the operator noting how much chaff each is handling, how 
the wheat is cleaned and the amount of tailing being re- 
turned, as explained in Chapter IV. The adjustable shoe- 
sieve should be placed at, or very near, the top, at the fan 
end and in the fourth hole from the top at the rear end. 

When the separator is equipped with common sieves, 



184 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSEUI. THRESHING 

the two-inch Hp sieve, D, should be used as a chaffer. Or- 
dinarily, the three-eighths inch Hp sieve, G, will do nice 
work as a shoe sieve, and it will remain clean with little or 
no attention. It should be placed in the second notch at 
the fan end and third hole at the rear, — from the top in 
both cases. When " white-caps," (as kernels with chaff 
adhering to them are called) are numerous, the fifteen- 
sixty-fourths inch round-hole sieve, H, is the best for re- 
moving them. It should be placed in the second notch and 
third or fourth hole. Sometimes these two sieves are used 
together, in which case the former sieve, G, should be 
placed in the first notch and third hole and the latter, H, in 
the fifth or sixth notch and the fifth hole. 

For a cheat screen, either the one-fourteenth by one- 
half inch oblong hole, L, (regular), or the one-sixteenth 
by three-eighths inch, K, is suitable, depending upon the 
size of the kernels of wheat. For cockle, the five-thirty- 
seconds inch round hole screen, I, is the right size. 

Turkey Wheat. Some varieties of wheat, such as the 
"Turkey," which is raised extensively in Oklahoma, is very 
difficult to knock out of the heads and often six rows of 
concave teeth will not thresh it clean from the straw. In 
this case, one or more three-row concaves of corrugated 
teeth are necessary. For such grain, the cylinder speed 
should be kept fully up to the stated number of revolutions 
or even higher, in which case pulley 5582T should be used 
as explained for barley. 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 185 

Threshing Rye. Rye is more easily knocked out of the 
heads than wheat, and usually two rows of concave teeth 
are sufficient. When damp, the straw is tough and as it 
is long, it tends to wrap on the cylinder and beater. To 
prevent this, the cylinder should be run at a high speed — 
say 800 for the twenty-bar or 11 50 for the twelve-bar. 
Tough rye straw is more liable to wrap if bruised by the 
cylinder, and therefore, in threshing damp rye, it is best 
to use not more than two rows of concave teeth and often 
these may be left quite low, as the high cylinder speed sug- 
gested above will ordinarily insure threshing it clean from 
the straw. The writer has seen a separator (not a 
"Case"), which could not handle damp rye with the usual 
concave teeth, because of wrapping, do very fair work 
when all the concave teeth were removed and a high cylin- 
der speed depended upon for knocking the kernels from the 
straw. It is a common mistake to use too many concave 
teeth in threshing rye. This is especially true if the en- 
gine be small. Unless the straw be badly chopped up, this 
grain is easily separated and cleaned. The same sieves 
should be used as in threshing wheat, except that the 
round-hole sieve, H, *for removing the white-caps from 
wheat is not necessary for rye. 

Threshing Oats. Oats, v/hen dry, are best threshed 
with two rows of concave teeth and, especially if the straw 
be short, with a cylinder speed somewhat lower than is 
required for wheat. When they are in this condition, it is 



l86 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 

easy to thresh them very fast and a machine of medium 
size often turns out as much as six or seven hundred 
bushels per hour. When damp, however, oat-straw is very 
tough and requires a speed of fully 750 for the twenty-bar 
or 1075 for the twelve-bar cylinder. The adjustable-chaf- 
fer and shoe-sieve should be opened m.ore than for wheat. 
If the separator be equipped with common sieves, the two- 
inch lip-sieve, D, should be used as a chaffer and the three- 
quarter inch lip-sieve, F, placed in the second notch and 
third hole in the shoe. If this sieve be found too fine, as 
is occasionally the case with large oats, and in fast thresh- 
ing, the one and one-quarter inch lip-sieve, E, may be 
used in the shoe. Any of the screens mentioned for wheat 
are suitable for oats. Since a bushel of oats weighs only 
a little more than half as much as a bushel of wheat, less 
wind must be used in cleaning. Oats that are poorly 
filled, and consequently very light, cannot be well cleaned 
without blowing over some apparently good kernels. Upon 
close examination, however, it will be found that very 
few of these are more than hulls, which contain nothing. 

Threshing Barley. In certain localities, sometimes 
barley is in such condition that it is easily threshed. At 
other times, however, the ''beards" are tough and difficult 
to knock off from the kernels. To successfully handle 
such grain, the cylinder and concave-teeth should be in 
excellent order. Any teeth that are badly worn should be 
replaced by new ones. Six rows of concave-teeth may be 



THRESHING WITH REGULARITY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 1 87 

required and the cylinder-speed should be kept up to fully 
750 revolutions for the twenty-bar and 1075 for the twelve- 
bar cylinder separators. As with Turkey wheat, three row 
concaves, either with plain or corrugated teeth, may be 
used ; or a better plan is to increase the cylinder speed to 
820 r. p. m. To do this, it is necessary to use pulley No. 
5582T, 6 inches face, 7^:4 inches diameter, 20 bar. This 
pulley is needed so as to have the beater, crank-shaft and 
fan run at their normal speed. In using these means to 
remove the beards, the straw, being brittle, is apt to be 
cut up badly and, therefore, gives the cleaning apparatus 
a great amount of chaff to handle. 

The adjustable sieves should be set as in threshing 
wheat. By having the front end of the shoe-sieve high 
and the rear end low, the kernels with beards adhering to 
them will be carried to the tailings elevator and returned 
to the cylinder. Another advantage of placing the sieve in 
this position lies in the fact that when so placed, it lies 
across the path of the blast, and the wind is forced through 
it. The chaff is thus easily lifted off and the sieve is 
enabled to properly handle the large amount of chaff that 
comes to it in barley threshing. With brittle barley straw, 
the regular straw-rack sometimes shakes too much straw 
through to the conveyor. In this case, as in threshing 
"headings," the straw-rack should be converted into the 
Oregon style, mentioned heretofore. When the separator 
is fitted with com^mon sieves, the two-inch lip, D, or the one 



i88 scie^nce: 01^ succEssFui. threshing 

and one-quarter-inch lip, E, should be used as a chaffer 
and the three-eighths-inch lip-sieve, G, in the second notch 
and fourth hole as a shoe-sieve. Any of the screens men- 
tioned for wheat are suitable for barley. 

Threshing Flax. The thresherman should devote 
some study to the peculiarities of flax if he wishes to do 
a nice job of threshing. Operators of some makes of 
separators have great difficulty in threshing flax on ac- 
count of the straw being composed of tow or tough fibres, 
and therefore having great tendency to wind on every 
revolving thing it encounters. The "Case"- separator, 
having no rotary parts on which flax straw can wind, has 
always had an advantage in this respect. Flax is usually 
unbound, and on separators equipped with feeders, the 
pitchers are apt to throw it upon the feeder-carrier in large 
forkfuls. The straw, on the contrary, should be fed even- 
ly to the cylinder, for if allowed to pass into the machine 
in large bunches, it is liable to ''slug" the motion down 
and prevent all parts of the separator from doing good 
work. When green or damp, it requires close work on 
the part of the cylinder and concave teeth to get the seed 
out of the bolls. Usually six rows of concave teeth are 
required, and the speed must be kept fully up to the 750 
for the twenty-bar or 1075 ^^r the twelve-bar, but when 
dry and in good condition, it is best to run the cylinder at 
a little less than its normal speed to favor the shoe. Some 
very good samples of cleaned flax have been taken from 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 1 89 

separators, fitted only with the adjustable sieves. Usually, 
however, it is necessary to place a sieve underneath the 
adjustable shoe-sieve to do first-class cleaning. The ad- 
justable sieve should be placed as high as possible at both 
ends in the shoe. For a lower sieve, the five-thirty-sec- 
onds-inch round hole sieve, I, is the correct size. It should 
be placed in the seventh notch at the fan end and the fourth 
hole in the rear. This sieve should also be used in the 
same position in the shoe of machines fitted with common 
sieves. For an upper sieve, either of the wheat sieves may 
be used, but the three-eighths-inch lip sieve, G, is prefer- 
able to the fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch round hole sieve, H. 
For a chaffer, the three-quarter-inch lip-sieve, F, works 
the best of the common sieves. More wind can be used 
with two sieves in the shoe than with one. 

Any of the smaller round hole sieves may be used as 
a screen, the particular one being determined by the kind 
of weed seed to be removed and other local conditions. 
Usually the three-thirty-second-inch round hole, N, is 
suitable. 

Threshing Buckzvheat. This grain is easily knocked 
off the straw and even one row of concave teeth is seldom 
necessary. In most cases It will be found advisable to sub- 
stitute a hard wood board for each concave. The grain 
in being thrown by the cylinder from one board to another 
is generally well knocked loose without breaking either 
grain or straw to any extent. Buckwheat straw is brittle 



190 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

and it is well to bear in mind that as with other grains, 
the work of separation and cleaning is easier when the 
work of the cylinder is not overdone. The speed should 
be low to prevent cracking the grain. The sieves should be 
set the same as for wheat. In localities in which sufficient 
buckwheat is grown to keep a separator threshing for 
several days at a time, excellent results can be obtained 
by changing the pulleys on the cylinder-shaft as is done for 
threshing rice, thus making a low cylinder speed possible, 
while the balance of the machine maintains its normal 
motion. 

Threshing Millet. This is the most easily threshed 
of the ordinary seeds. Usually the normal cylinder speed 
and four rows of concave-teeth are sufficient to knock out 
the seed. The adjustable-sieves will ordinarily clean it 
sufficiently. If the separator be fitted with common sieves, 
the three-quarter-inch lip sieve, F, should be used as a 
chaffer, and either the three-eighths-inch lip sieve, G, or 
the fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch round-hole sieve, H, used 
in the second notch and third hole in the shoe. When a 
lower sieve is desired with either the adjustable or com- 
mon sieves, the one-eighth-inch round-hole sieve, O, or 
the five-thirty-seconds-inch round-hole sieve, I, is suitable. 
Either should be placed in the seventh notch and fifth hole. 

Threshing Speltz or Bmmer. This grain is easily 
threshed and if the directions for threshing oats be fol- 
lowed, no difficulty will be experienced. 



CHAPTER VI 

THRESHING WITH A SPECIALLY EQUIPPED 

SEPARATOR. 

THIS chapter will deal with those crops, the thresh- 
ing of which requires a change in, or an addition 
to, a regularly equipped separator. It will include 
the threshing of peas, beans, rice, clover, alfalfa, timothy, 
orchard-grass, brome grass, red-top grass, Kafir corn, 
Indian corn and peanuts. 

Threshing Peas. To prevent cracking the peas, it is 
necessar}' to run the cylinder at a very much lower speed 
than is required for threshing grain. To obtain the best 
results, the twelve-bar cylinder should ordinarily be run 
at from 400 to 450 revolutions per minute, but when the 
peas are thoroughly ripened and dry, a lower speed will 
be better, 300 revolutions being sufficient, at times. Or- 
dinarily the twenty-bar cylinder should be run 290 revo- 
lutions per minute, but this speed may also be reduced to 
nearly 200 revolutions when the condition of the pods 
permit. To secure this low cylinder speed and retain the 
normal motion of the other parts of the machine and to 
some extent of the engine, it is necessary to change the 
pulleys on the cylinder shaft. 

The number of concave rows may be two, four or six, 

191 



192 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIy THRESHING 

as the condition requires. The cylinder must be run at a 
certain slow speed as already stated, and when so speeded, 
more concave teeth are required than if it were allowed to 
run faster. However, since the cylinder speed must be 
low, a sufficient number of concave teeth should be used to 
knock the peas out of the pods. For "blanks," when less 
than six rows of concave teeth are used, hardwood boards 
cut to the right length and width and fitted to the concave- 
circles are preferable to the regular iron-blanks. Since 
peas are apt to be cracked by the corners of the iron blank- 
concaves or grates, the ones under the beater are some- 
times covered with sheet-iron. This should be done where 
trouble from cracking is experienced. The kind known as 
"cow peas" or "stock peas," a speckled or mottled variety 
belonging to the bean family, are easily cracked. 

In general, the adjustable chaffer and shoe sieve should 
be set only slightly more open for the common field peas or 
for stock-peas than for wheat. The adjustable exten- 
sion, however, should be open enough to allow unthreshed 
pods to pass through it and be returned to the cylinder by 
the tailing elevator. If the separator be fitted with com- 
mon-sieves, the one and one-quarter-inch lip, E, or the two- 
inch lip, D, should be used as a chaffer, and the three- 
eighths-inch lip, G, should be placed in the second notch 
and third hole in the shoe. 

For a screen, the one-sixth by three-fourths-inch woven 
wire, W, or the three-sixteenths by three-quarter-inch ob- 
long hole, P, is best, although the fifteen-sixty-fourths 



THRESHING WITH SPECIAI^IvY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 1 93 

round-hole wheat sieve, H, works very well in "Whip- 
poor- v/ill" stock-peas. 

If trouble be experienced because the peas strike the 
floor of the shoe and bound over into the fan, it can be 
prevented by covering the front part of the chaffer to a dis- 
tance of twelve or fourteen inches with sheet-iron. If 
there be much sand or dirt to be screened out, applying 
the same remedy will cause the peas to be dropped farther 
rearward and allow the dirt more chance to get through 
the screen. Returning peas to the cylinder with the tailings 
is apt to crack them, and, therefore, the cleaned peas will 
contain fewer split ones if the tailings be kept separate. 
This may be done by opening the bottom of the tailings- 
elevator and allowing them to run on the ground or on a 
canvas. Afterwards they may be run through the ma- 
chine while "cleaning up." 

Threshing Beans. All that has been said above, in 
regard to threshing peas, applies equally well to threshing 
the ordinary white navy beans, and also the larger varie- 
ties, except, that for the latter, if common sieves be used, 
the three-quarter-inch lip, F, should be used in place of 
the three-eighths-inch lip sieve, G, in the shoe. 

Threshing Soy Beans. Soy (or soja) beans are diffi- 
cult to knock out of the pods, and are so hard that they 
are not easily cracked. Therefore, they can best be 
threshed with a separator adjusted and speeded as for 
wheat. Soy beans sometimes grow quite rank, often yield- 
ing from 25 to 40 bushels of seed and 12 or 13 tons of fod- 

13 



194 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

der to the acre. For this reason, the twenty-eight by forty- 
six and larger sizes of separators are more suitable than 
the smaller ones. 

Special Cylinders for Peas and Beans. There are local- 
ities in which a separator may be kept constantly threshing 
peas or beans for several days or even weeks at a time. 
For such machines, it is often advisable to obtain a special 
cylinder with the teeth spaced for this work. When so 
equipped, a "Case" separator will do better work than it 
would do with the regular cylinder. In fact, its work is 
then equal to that of the machines designed especially for 
hulling beans, while its capacity is much greater. In 
changing to the special cylinder, it is necessary to procure 
the special concaves and concave-circles, as well as the 
cylinder. 

FOR PEA AND BEAN 12-BAR SEPARATORS (BELT): 

5063T Main Cylinder PuUey, 18" dia. (regular pulley may remain 
on), runs cylinder 425 r. p. m. when 36" engine fly-wheel 
makes 213. 

5066T (G" face) or 5067T (4" face) Cylinder Pulley drives beater 
and crank, 15" dia. (remove tightener), runs crank about 
normal speed, 230 r. p. m. with cylinder speed of 425. 

B5068T Cylinder Pulley drives feeder, 17" dia., runs feeder-crank 
258 r. p. m. with cylinder speed of 425. 

A5065T Cylinder Pulley drives wind stacker, 20" dia., runs jack- 
shaft about 687 r. p. m. with cylinder speed of 425. (Nor- 
mal, 760.) For lower cylinder speed or faster stacker 
speeds, use pulleys A303H or B303H on jack shaft. 

FOR PEA AND BEAN 12-BAR SEPARATORS (GEARED): 

nC71T Bevel Gear (47 teeth) and Cylinder Pinion A5072T (Steel), 
or 5072T (Wood) (25 teeth), run cylinder about 425 r. p. 
m. with the normal tumbling-rod speed of 227 r. p. m. 
For lower cylinder speed, larger spur-pinions may be 
used on the horse-power. No special gears are made for 
20-bar separators. Pulleys, except 5063T, same as for 
Belt separators for Peas and Beans. 

FOR PEA AND BEAN 20-BAR SEPARATORS (BELT): 

5372T Main Cylinder Pulley, 26" dia., runs cylinder 290 r. p. m. 
when 40" engine lly-wheel makes about 190. 



THRESHING WITH SPECIAIvIvY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR I95 

5373T Cylinder Pulley drives beater and crank, 22" dia. (remove 
tig'hten'er), runs crank normal speed, 230 r. p. m., with 
cylinder speed of about 290. 

5374T Cylinder Pulley drives feeder, 25" dia., runs feeder-crank 
normal speed, 258 r. p. m., with cylinder spe'ed of 290. 

A302H Cylinder Pulley drives wind stacker, 22" dia., and 1 pc. 
A303H or B303H Wind Stacker Pulley, 81/2" dia., run 
jack-shaft normal speed, 750 r. p. m., with cylinder speed 
of 290. 

Threshing Rice. This grain is difficult to thresh clean 
from the heads without cracking or hulling the kernels. 
Owing to the fact that the rice when it reaches the mill is 
screened before it is hulled, any kernels hulled in threshing, 
are taken out in the screening and are therefore as ob- 
jectionable as the broken rice which is sold as "grits" at 
an inferior price. The teeth in a regular cylinder are 
spaced too closely for ordinary rice threshing, although 
good work is sometimes done when the teeth have become 
somewhat worn and are consequently thinner than when 
new. The "Case" rice thresher has the proper spacing of 
teeth to thresh this grain out of the heads without crack- 
ing more than a small percentage. What is said in Chapter 
II in regard to the proper endwise adjustment of the 
cylinder and the necessity of keeping the teeth straight 
applies particularly well to rice threshing. In reading 
that chapter with reference to rice, however, it should be 
borne in mind that a difference exists, from the fact that 
the space between the concave and cylinder teeth is about 
three-sixteenths of an inch in the rice machine instead of 
about an eighth of an inch, as it is in the regular. When 
the rice is in good condition, the amount hulled and broken 
should not exceed five per cent, but when the grain is 



196 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

"sun-cracked," the percentage may be somewhat larger. 
The condition of the grain will determine the number and 
position of the concave teeth, two, four or six rows being 
used as required. 

Besides requiring a special spacing of the cylinder and 
concave teeth, the cylinder speed must be lower for rice 
than for ordinary grain. The twelve-bar cylinder-speed 
for rice should be 900 revolutions per minute and in order 
to give the proper speed to the other parts of the separator, 
it is necessary to have special pulleys on the cylinder shaft. 
These are larger than the regular pulleys and allow the 
cylinder to run at the desired low speed, while maintaining 
normal speed of the other parts of the separator. In the 
same manner, the twenty -bar cylinder speed for rice should 
be from 575 to 600 revolutions, and to obtain this, a corre- 
sponding change in all the pulleys on the cylinder shaft 
must be made. More rice is apt to be cracked the first few 
days a new separator runs, than will be afterwards, when 
the cylinder teeth have become w^orn smooth. 

Of the two principal varieties of rice — the Japan and 
the Honduras — the former is much harder to knock out of 
the head, but is not as easily cracked as is the latter. The 
Golden rice of the Atlantic Coast States, however, is much 
more easily cracked than either of the above varieties, so 
that more care is required in threshing, and a special 
feeder is often used. 

For rice the adjustable chaffer and shoe-sieve should be 
set in the same position and with about the same opening 



THRESHING WITH SPECIAI^I^Y EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 1 97 

as for oats. Rice is considerably heavier,* however, and 
will stand the extra amount of wind required to blow out 
its heavy chaff. When common sieves are used the chaffer 
should be the two-inch lip, D. The three-quarter-inch lip- 
sieve, F, placed in the second notch and third hole gives 
excellent results as a shoe-sieve. For a screen, the one- 
fourteenth by one-half-inch oblong-hole, L, is best, ordi- 
narily. When the rice is so small that this screen lets too 
much through, the one-sixteenth by three-eighths-inch ob- 
long-hole, K, may be used. 

FOR RICE 12-BAR SEPARATORS (BELT): 

5051T Main Cylinder Pulley, 10 ^A" dia., runs cylinder 900 r. p. m. 
when 36" engine fly-wheel makes 256 r. p. m, 

1839T Cylinder Pulley drives beater and crank, 7" dia., runs crank 
225 r. p. m. when cylinder makes 900 r. p. m. (Normal 
speed of crank, 230 r. p. m.) 

5054T Cylinder pullej^ drives feeder, 6%" dia., runs feeder crank 
217 r. p. m. when cylinder makes 900 r. p. m. (Normal, 
258 r. p. m.) 

A269H Cylinder pulley drives wind stacker, 11" dia., runs jack- 
shaft 810 r. p. m. when cylinder makes 900 r. p. m. (Nor- 
mal, 790 r. p. m.) 

FOR RICE 12-BAR SEPARATORS (GEARED) : 

A1449T B^vel Gear (80 teeth) and A1450T Cylinder Pinion (17 
teeth) run the cylinder 950 r. p. m. when the tumbling' 
rod makes 202 r. p. m. Pulleys except 5051T same as for 
Rice 12-bar separators (belt). 

FOR RICE 20-BAR SEPARATORS (BELT): 

5369T Main cylinder pulley, 16%" dia.. runs cylinder 620 r. p. m. 
when 40" engine fly-wlieel makes 250 r. p. m. 

5371T Cylinder pulley drives beater and crank, 10" dia., runs 
crank 222 r. p. m. (Normal, 230 r. p. m.) 

5370T Cylinder pulley drives feeder, 11%" dia., runs feeder crank 
256 r. p. m. when cylinder makes 620 r. p. m. (Normal, 
25 8 r. p. m.) 

A300H Cylinder pulley drives wind stacker, 16" dia., runs jack 
shaft 810 r. p. m. when cylinder makes 620 r. p. m. (Nor- 
mal, 750 r. p. m.) 

FOR RICE 20-BAR SEPARATORS (GEARED): 
A5378T Bevel Gear (76 teeth) and A5379T Cylinder Pinion 23 
teeth (Steel): or 53 78T Bevel Gear 76 te'eth and 5379T 

*"The commercial standard weight of 'rough rice' is 45 pounds 
to the bushel. The product is usually put up in sacks or barrels 
of 162 pounds each." (Farmers' Bulletin No. 110, U. S. Dept of 
Agriculture. ) 



198 science: of successful threshing 

cylinder pinion 24 teeth (Wood) run the cylinder 603 r. 
p. m. when the tumbling- rod makes 182 r. p. m. Pulleys 
except 5369T same as for Rice 20-bar separators (belt). 

Hulling Clover. The process of removing clover seed 
from the heads or tops of the plant is usually called ''hull- 
ing," instead of "threshing." A special attachment is made 
for "Case" separators, for use in hulling clover. This 
attachment consists of four narrow three-row concaves 
filled with corrugated teeth, one special blank concave and 
special sieves. All twelve rows of teeth should be used 
and the blank placed in front. If the seed be not threshed 
clean from the heads at the regular speed, with the twelve 
rows of teeth set clear up, run the cylinder a little faster, 
and use pulley 5582T (for 20-bar) to drive beater, crank 
and fan at the normal speed. 

As the clover is chopped very fine, the work can often 
be improved by adding slats to the straw rack, making 
it similar to the Oregon rack. 

Clover must be very dry to be well threshed by any 
machine and when threshing from the field is usually not 
in condition to be hulled before ten or eleven o'clock in the 
morning, or until the effects of the dew have entirely dis- 
appeared. From three to six bushels per hour is fair work 
with a medium size separator in dry clover of an a:verage 
yield. A clover yield, however, is an extremely variable 
quantity. 

Good cleaning has been done with the adjustable-sieves 
alone, but ordinarily, it will be found much easier to clean 
the seed well if a sieve be used in the shoe below the 



THRESHING WITH SPECIALITY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 1 99 

adjustable one. For this purpose, the three-thirty-seconds- 
inch round-hole sieve, N, or the twelve by twelve mesh 
woven-wire-sieve, R, is the correct size. Either should be 
placed in the seventh notch and eighth hole. The adjust- 
able shoe-sieve should be placed in the second notch and 
third hole. When common sieves are used, the three-quar- 
ter-inch lip, F, makes a suitable chaffer, and the three- 
eighths-inch lip sieve, G, is the best as an upper sieve in 
the shoe. The latter should be placed in the first notch 
and first hole and the lower shoe-sieve should be of the 
same size and placed in the same position as given for 
adjustable-sieves. It is possible to use three sieves in the 
shoe, but it is doubtful whether cleaner seed can be pro- 
duced with three than with two. These directions for 
sieves apply to all the common varieties of clover, such as 
the red, alsike, white, etc. For extra large seed, such as 
that of the German or crimson variety, a coarser sieve (say 
the three-thirty-seconds-inch round hole, N ) , may be sub- 
stituted for Y. For the Japan variety, the one-eighth 
round hole, O, may be used. 

In localities where clover seed is threshed in consider- 
able quantities, the "Case" clover recleaner may be used 
and it will thoroughly clean very weedy seed. This re- 
cleaner is attached to the left hand side of the separator 
just back of the grain elevator. It is driven by means 
of a special double pulley on the separator fan-shaft with 
a straight belt. 

Threshing Alfalfa or Lucerne. The same rules which 



200 scie:nce of successfui. threshing 

govern the hulling of clover apply in a general way to 
the threshing of alfalfa, although it is easier to rub the 
latter out of its pods than the former out of its heads. The 
clover concaves are sometimes used, but oftener one or 
more of the regular three-row concaves filled with cor- 
rugated teeth are all that is required. The sieves may be 
the same and set in the same way as for clover. Often 
a weed known as dodder or love- vine, grows with alfalfa 
and its seeds are usually enough smaller than the alfalfa 
seed to allow the greater part of them to be removed by 
screening. The screen best adapted for this purpose is the 
one-twentieth-inch round-hole, X. 

Threshing Timothy. Although this seed when prop- 
erly ripened and cured, is not hard to thresh, it is often in 
such condition as to render it very difficult for the separator 
to handle. It is often cut and stacked when green or damp. 
When in this condition, the bundles are very solid and they 
must be properly fed or the cylinder and concave teeth 
may give trouble. The speed, too, must be fully up to the 
normal, 750 for the twenty-bar or 1075 fo^ the twelve-bar 
cylinder. Six rows of concave-teeth should always be 
used, as considerable rubbing is necessary to loosen the 
seed from the heads. When the seed is ripe and dry, the 
cylinder speed may be lowered considerably, and this 
should be done whenever possible, as a low speed favors 
the shoe in handling this small and rather light seed. Often 
when the seed is well ripened and allowed to stand in the 
field, especially if in shocks that are not capped, it will be 



THRESHING WITH SPECIAI^IvY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 201 

badly shelled in handling so that the amount threshed will 
be considerably less than the actual yield would be, were 
it possible to save it all. 

The adjustable-sieves should be set Vv^ell closed for tim- 
othy and a lower sieve must be used to get the seed clean. 
Either the one-sixteenth-inch round-hole sieve, M, or the 
sixteen by sixteen-mesh wire sieve, T, are suitable for tim- 
othy seed, and either may be used successfully, if placed in 
the seventh notch and fourth or fifth hole. When common- 
sieves are used, the three-quarter-inch lip-sieve, F, will be 
found to be the most suitable for a chaffer and the three- 
eighth-inch lip, G, is an excellent upper sieve for the shoe. 

Threshing Orchard-Grass. In threshing this grass, 
the cylinder should be run at its regular speed, and six rows 
of concave teeth, set well up, should be used. Good work 
has been done with the adjustable sieves alone, but as a 
rule, the seed can be cleaned better by using the three- 
thirty-seconds by one-half-inch oblong-hole special sieve, 
U, underneath the adjustable shoe-sieve. It should be 
placed in the seventh or eighth notch and sixth hole. The 
adjustable shoe-sieve should be placed in the second notch 
and third hole. If common-sieves be used, place the one 
and one-quarter-inch lip sieve, E, in the conveyor. Use 
the three-quarter-inch lip sieve, F, as an upper sieve in the 
shoe placed in the first notch and third hole. Use the three- 
thirty-seconds by one-hali-inch special orchard-grass sieve, 
U, below, placing it in the same position as when used 
with the adjustable one. Since the seed is light, but little 



202 SCIE:nCE of SUCCE:SSrUIv THRESHING 

wind is required, and if the grass be reasonably free from 
weeds, the lower blinds may be entirely closed and the 
upper ones opened a little. 

If the grass be damp or dirty, slightly open the lower 
ones also. From twelve-hundred to fifteen-hundred bushels 
of orchard-grass have been threshed in a day with a me- 
dium-sized machine. 

Threshing Bronie Grass. This seed can be successfully 
threshed in the "Case" machine, although it is consider- 
ably lighter than even orchard grass. In general, the direc- 
tions for threshing orchard-grass should be followed, but 
a coarser sieve is necessary. The one-sixth by three- 
fourths mesh wire, W, is a suitable size. It v/ill be found 
that the fan blinds must be kept well closed in some cases, 
it being even necessary to close the opening more than is 
done by the blinds, as for red-top grass. 

Threshing Red-Top Grass. When threshing red-top 
grass that is in good condition, the cylinder speed may be 
considerably below normal, and one filled concave (two 
rows) usually is sufficient. Should the grass be damp, it 
may be necessary to use more than two rows of teeth in 
the concaves and to run the cylinder at normal speed, 1 175 
r. p. m. for 12-bar and 750 r. p. m. for 20-bar separators. 

Special attention must be paid to the cleaning apparatus 
if good results are to be obtained. Set the conveyor-sieve 
only slightly open, and the conveyor-extension open enough 
to save what unthreshed seed may pass over the conveyor 
sieve. The adjustable shoe-sieve should be set in first notch 



THRESHING WITH SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 203 

and second or third hole and adjusted somewhat finer than 
the conveyor-sieve. To do good work, it is necessary to 
use as a lower shoe-sieve, the twenty-four by twenty-four 
mesh wire one, set high in front, next to fan, and lov^ at 
rear, about third notch and fifth or sixth hole. In most 
cases the fan-blinds must be kept closed and in some 
cases it may even be necessary to more completely close the 
openings by fitting thin boards or other like material to 
the fan-blinds. Should the sieves become overloaded, the 
rear wheels may be slightly lowered. 

Threshing Kaiir-Corn. The three principal varieties of 
Kafir-corn — the white, the red and the black-hulled white 
(African-millet), are known by various names, such as 
"red-top cane" or "sumac-cane," "milo-maize," "black- 
amber-cane," "guinea-corn," etc. Any of these may be 
successfully threshed with a "Case" separator. When the 
machine is kept continually threshing crops of this sort, it 
is best to use the "Texas" strav^^-rack, which is made espe- 
cially for this work. The general directions for wheat 
may be followed in regard to the cylinder and concaves, 
speed and cleaning apparatus. If the seed is easily cracked, 
the pulleys for rice may be used and cylinder speeded ac- 
cordingly. For a screen, use the one-eighth-inch round 
hole, O, unless seed is small, in which case the three-thirty- 
seconds-inch round hole, N, may be used. 

Threshing Indian-Corn or Maize. The threshing of 
Indian-corn is very severe on a separator and the use of a 
good machine for this purpose is therefore not recom- 



204 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

mended. Some threshermen use a separator which has 
been discarded for regular grain threshing and this ar- 
rangement is not objectionable. As the corn is shelled by 
the machine it must be drier than is necessary for a husker- 
shredder, or the shelled corn will heat and spoil. Usually 
the cylinder is run at its normal speed. Two rows of con- 
cave-teeth are sufficient. Often concave-teeth are forged 
so as to be sharpened on the front edge or else shortened 
to lessen the amount of power required to drive the cyl- 
inder. The fish-backs and riser supports may be removed 
from the straw-rack and the risers lowered so that 
the rack is flat, similar to the special **Texas" rack used 
for Kafir-corn. 

Threshing Peanuts. The equipment necessary to con- 
vert a regular "Case" separator into a peanut separator con- 
sists of concaves, pulleys, sieves, special bagger and a 
tailings spout. It is also necessary to remove some of the 
teeth from the cylinder. The teeth needed for Spanish 
peanuts may conveniently be located as follows : Turn the 
cylinder until you find a bar that has teeth about i inch 
from each end. The teeth in this bar and in every alternate 
one are the ones to be used. Remove all others ; also the 
inside bars from which the teeth have been removed. Two- 
inch lip-sieves are used in the conveyor, conveyor extension 
and shoe. The two former must be well opened and the 
shoe-sieve should be set well up in front and nearly level 
or perhaps a trifle low next to the tailings auger; other- 
wise, the sieve will begin to "load" and the passage be 



THRESHING WITH SPECIAIvLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR 20^ 

obstructed. The fan-blinds may be regulated so as to 
blow out all of the ''pops" if desired. When a heavy blast 
is needed, care must be taken so that no good peanuts will 
be blown over. This may be avoided by raising the rear of 
the conveyor extension-sieve and the sheet iron extension 
just back of the tailings auger. The bagger is of the 
vibrating type, elevating the peanuts by pitching them from 
notch to notch, thus avoiding breakage in elevating. The 
fifteen-sixty- fourths-inch round hole screen in the bottom 
of the elevator should be looked at from time to time to 
see that it is clean. Do not allow the sand or dirt under 
this screen to become so high as to interfere with the 
operation of the bagger. The best results are obtained by 
running it with a crossed belt. The special equipment for 
peanut separators is furnished only for the eighteen by 
thirty-sixth-inch size. 

FOR SPANISH PEANUT SEPARATORS: 

Pulleys on cylinder shaft for threshing Spanish Peanuts are the 
same as those listed under Peas and Beans, 12-bar, page 194. 

FOR VIRGINIA PEANUT SEPARATORS (BELT) : 

5063T Main Cylinder Pulley, 18" dia., runs cylinder 293 r. p. m. 

when 36" engine fly-wheel makes 146 r. p. m. 
57S9T Cylinder Pulley drives beater and crank, 22" dia. (remove 

tightener), runs crank normal speed, 230 r. p, m., with 

cylinder speed of 293 r. p. m. 
A5065T Cylinder Pulley drives wind stacker, 20" dia., and A303H 

or B303H Wind Stacker Pulley, 8V2" dia., run jack-shaft 

690 r. p. m. with cylinder speed of 293 r. p. m. 

FOR VIRGINIA PEANUT SEPARATORS (GEARED) : 

5071T Bevel Gear (47 teeth) and A5072T Cylinder Pinion (Steel) 
or 5072T (Wood) (25 teeth) run cylinder about 308 r. p. 
m. with spur pinion A8W (22 teeth) on horse power, 
•when the horses make 21^4 r. p. m. Pulleys, except 5063T, 
same as for Virginia Peanut Belt Separators. 



2o6 



SCIENCE Oi^ SUCCESSFUI, THRESHING 



BELTS FOR CASE SEPARATORS. 



NAME 



Crank and Beater, 
Crank and Beater, 
Crank and Beater, 

Fan 

Fan 

Elevator 

Elevator 

Grain Auger 

Grain Auger 



I 



Wind 
Wind 
Wind 
Wind 
Wind 



Drive 

Drive 

Drive 

Drive, geared. 
Drive, geared. 
Drive, geared. 



Shoe Shake. . 
Shoe Shake. . 
Feeder Drive. 
Feeder Drive. 
Feeder, small. 
Wind Stacker 

Stacker 

Stacker 

Stacker 

Stacker 

Stacker 
Combined Stacker Drive 

Combined Stacker Drive 

Combined Stacker Drive 

Combined Stacker Drive, geared 
Combined Stacker Drive, geared 
Wind Stacker Turret Drive... 
Wind Stacker Turret Drive... 
Wind Stacker Turret Drive... 
Combined Stacker Turret Drive 
Combined Stacker Turret Drive 

Attached Stacker Drive 

Attached Stacker Drive 

Attached Stacker Drive, geared. 

Attached Stacker, short 

Attached Stacker, long 

Common Stacker 

Independent Stackf^r 






20-Bar 

12-Bar 

r2-Bar 

20-Bar 

r2-Bar 

Both 

20-Bar 

12-Bar 

12-Bar 

20-Bar 

20-Bar 

20-Bar 

r2-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

12-Bar 

20-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

r2-Bar 

20-Bar 

20-Bar 

12- Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

Both 

Both 

12-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

Both 

12-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 



oj o 



Both 

Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Steel 

Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Steel 

Wood 

Steel 

Wood 

Wood 

Steel 

Both 

W ood 

Steel 

Wood 

Steel 

Wood 

Wood 

Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 



Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 

I L'th'r 

Leather 

Leather 

Leather 

Leather 

Leather 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rubber 

Rublier 

Leather 

Leather 

Rubber 

Rubber 



6" 
4" 
4" 
4" 
4" 
2y: 

•IV2" 
214 " 

2" 

2" 

4" 

4" 

2^" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

o" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

5" 

2" 

2" 

2" 

2^" 

2^" 

4" 

4" 

4" 

2" 

2^" 

3" 

3" 



18' 
16' 
IG' 
19' 
18' 
14' 
15' 
11' 

12' 

4' 
5' 
14' 
15' 
8' 
34' 
36' 
38' 
28' 
27' 
28' 

or?/ 

35' 
38' 
28' 
30' 
11' 
11' 
13' 
14' 
16' 
31' 
32' 
25' 
6' 
1!)' 
22' 
35' 



4" 
11" 

2" 
11" 

6" 
11" 

2^" 

3" 

WVz" 

3" 

4" 

4" 

2" 

10" 

6" 

0" 

0" 

0" 

7" 

0" 

5" 

6" 

3" 

0" 
11" 

9" 

4" 
10" 

6" 

0" 

8" 

5" 

5" 

2" 

3" 

0" 



• NOTE: Niew rubber belts often shrink after being- taken from the 
roll and for this reason they are cut longer than required — one 
inch for each eight feet — in order to allow for shrinkage. On the 
contrary, leather belts ar^ cut shorter than required — one inch for 
each eight or ten feet — in order to allow for stretch. 




CHAPTER VII 

THE PULLEYS AND BELTING OF A 
SEPARATOR 

|ULLEYS are usually held in place on the shafts 
either by taper-keys or by set-screws. Sometimes 
straight keys or "feather" keys, as they are called, 
are used, but as these only prevent the pulley from turning, 
set-screws or other additional means must be used to 
secure the key against slipping out and the pulley against 
sliding on the shaft. When used with feather-keys, set- 
screws are placed so their points rest on the key and thus 
do not score or mar the shaft. 

Taper Keys. A taper key when properly fitted, holds 
a pulley very securely. To do this, however, such a key 
must be the same width throughout its length and accu- 
rately fit the slots or ''seats" cut for it on the shaft and in 
the pulley. The thickness should vary to correspond with 
that of the key-way in the pulley. A key should be driven 
in hard enough to be safe against working loose, but when 
well fitted, it is not necessary to drive it so hard that it 
may not be readily removed. The hubs of most of the pul- 
leys on the machine run against the boxes, and in keying 
these, about one-thirty-second of an inch end play should 

207 



208 SCIE:nCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

be allowed the shaft, to prevent danger of heating from 
the pulley rubbing too hard against the end of the box. 
A key that is too thin, but otherwise fits properly may be 
made tight by putting a strip of tin or sheet-iron between 
it and the bottom of the way in the pulley. 

Pitting Keys. Coat the key with some pasty sub- 
stance, such as thick paint or heavy grease, and then rub 
it off so that only a very thin coating remains. Then try 
the key in place and drive it in lightly. Next withdraw it 
and the high points at which it bears will be indicated so 
that they may be filed off. The key should then be re- 
coated and tried again, this operation being repeated until 
the key is a good fit its entire length. When the marks 
indicate that the key fits properly, it may be driven in 
permanently, but a properly fitted key requires but a few 
blows with a light hammer in order to remain in. A key 
should never be left projecting beyond the end of a shaft, 
as it is liable to catch clothing and injure someone. 

Drawing Taper Keys. A taper key can usually be 
removed by driving the pulley toward the thin end of the 
key. Often, however, the pulley cannot be driven a suf- 
ficient distance to loosen the key because of its coming 
against a box or another pulley. If the end of the key 
projects beyond the hub, it may be removed by catching 
it with a pair of key-pullers or horse-shoe pinchers and 
prying with them against the hub, at the same time hitting 
the hub with a hammer so as to drive pulley on. Some- 
times the end of a key may be caught with a claw hammer 



THE PULI.EYS AND BEI^TING OF A SEPARATOR 209 

and loosened by driving on the hub of pulley as explained. 
If a pulley is against the box and key cuts off flush with 
the hub, it may be necessary to remove the shaft, drive 
the pulley on until the key loosens or if key-seat be long 
enough, a ''drift" may be used from the inside. 

Covering Pulleys. The smaller pulleys or those on 
which the belts are likely to slip are covered or lagged with 
leather or other similar material. The important thing in 
covering any pulley is to get the leather tight, because it 
will soon come off if there be any slack in it. 

Nailed Covers. Some pulleys are cast with recesses in 
their rims for insertion of wooden wedges. These pulleys 
are easily lagged because the covers are fastened, simply 
by nailing to the wooden wedges. To re-cover a pulley 
fitted with wooden wedges, take off what remains of the 
old cover, pull out the nails and renew the wedges if neces- 
sary. Select a good piece of leather a little wider than face 
of pulley and about four inches longer than the distance 
around. Soak it in water about an hour. Cut off one end 
square and nail it to one pair of the wedges, using nails 
just long enough to clinch. To stretch the leather, use a 
clamp made of two pieces of wood and two bolts. Block 
the shaft to keep it from turning, and stretch the leather 
by prying over the clamp with levers. The leather should 
not be stretched around the whole pulley at once, but the 
clamp should be so placed that there is only sufficient room 
to nail to the next pair of wedges. After nailing, move 
the clamp and nail to each pair of wedges in turn, finally 

14 



210 SCIENCE OP^ SUCCESSFUL, THRESHING 

nailing the leather again to the first pair before cutting off. 
Trim the edges even with the rim of the pulley. 

Riveted Covers. The same method of stretching the 
leather by means of a clamp may be used on pulleys with 
riveted covers or they can be covered in the following man- 
ner : Soak the leather in water for an hour. Cut off one 
end square, and rivet it on. Then draw the leather around 
the pulley and mark the next two pairs of holes. Punch 
holes in the leather a little back of the marks made by the 
first pair of holes and a little farther back of the marks 
made by the second pair of holes. Insert the points of two 
scratch awls through the second pair of holes in the leather 
and into the corresponding holes in the pulley rim. Using 
scratch awls as levers, draw the leather very tight and the 
first pair of rivets may be easily inserted. Move the awls 
to the third pair of holes, insert the second pair of rivets 
and so on around the pulley. The tines of an old pitch- 
fork drawn down a little at the points and tempered make 
very suitable scratch awls for this purpose. 

The Belting of the Separator should be carefully looked 
after, as the working of the machine depends in a large 
measure upon the condition of the belts. The pulleys must 
be in line, to insure the belt running on them its full width. 
Where the shafts are parallel, a belt will always run to the 
tightest place or where the pulleys are largest. For this 
reason, all pulleys on the separator are made larger in the 
middle, ^'crowning" as it is called, so belts will tend to 
run in the center. 



THE PULI.EYS AND BELTING OF A SEPARATOR 211 

The separator tender should look over the belts once 
each day and re-lace any doubtful ones outside of thresh- 
ing hours so as to prevent the necessity of stopping to 
repair a belt when the machine should be running. Some 
threshermen, realizing the expense of delays, carr}^ an 
extra set, so that in case anything happens to any belt m 
use, the extra one may be put on and the work immediately 
continued. If it starts to rain while threshing, the sepa- 
rator should be stopped at once, and the belts, especially 
the leather ones, put under cover before they get wet. The 
machine will run only a few minutes in the rain before the 
belts begin to slip and come off, and it is best to stop in time 
and keep them in good condition to start again. 

Leather Belts. All leather belts should be run hair 
side to the pulley. Some years ago mechanics and engineers 
disagreed as to which side of the leather should be next to 
the pulley, but it has been shown that belts last longer and 
transmit more power when run hair side to the pulley. The 
reason is that the flesh side is more flexible and will more 
readily accommodate itself to the curve of the pulley. If 
the more rigid hair side be obliged to stretch every time it 
goes around a pulley, it will crack, in time. When leather 
belts become hard, they should be softened with neatsfoot 
oil, or some other suitable dressing for a flexible belt will 
transmit more powder than a hard, stiff one. The mineral 
oils used for lubricating purposes rot leather and conse- 
quently, belts should be kept as free from them as possible. 

A Rubber Belt should always be put on with the seam 



212 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

(which is near the center, and covered with a narrow strip 
of rubber) on the outside, and not next to the pulley. The 
cleaner a rubber belt is kept, the better. No dressing of 
any kind should be used. Anything of a sticky nature 
adhering to it, will have a tendency to pull off the outer 
coating of rubber and greatly injure the belt. Oils of all 
kinds should be carefully avoided, and should a rubber belt 
accidentally become covered with oil, it is best to wash it 
off with soap and water. The best place to store rubber 
belts is in the cellar, because darkness and slightly damp 
air tend to preserve rubber, whereas light, especially direct 
sunlight, and extreme dryness tend to rot it. 

The Main Belt is usually of rubber or stitched canvas 
in widths of six, seven or eight inches, and made endless 
in lengths of 120, 150 or 160 feet. The object in having 
it so long is to place the engine far enough from the grain 
to be safe from fire. Accordingly, the 120 foot length 
may be used when the fuel is coal, but when burning wood 
or straw, the longer lengths should be used. The amount 
of barn and stack threshing and the usual arrangement of 
the stacks in the locality in which the rig is to operate 
must also be taken into consideration in choosing the length 
of belt. With the engine having a forty-inch fly-wheel 
and running at 250 revolutions per minute, the main belt 
will travel 2625 feet, or almost exactly one-half mile in 
a minute. A belt has a greater tendency to slip on the 
smaller of the two pulleys over which it runs and for this 
reason, the cylinder pulley is covered with leather or 



THE PULLEYS AND BELTING O^ A SEPARATOR 213 

similar material. When the cover is worn out, a new one 
should be put on as no main belt will pull well on a 
bare cylinder pulley. Rubber belts have good pulling 
power. They do not require dressing, in fact, any dressing 
is injurious, because it has a tendency to pull off the outer 
coating of rubber. To obtain the best results, stitched 
canvas belts, however, should be treated with a coat of 
"Case" dressing once in about thirty days. It keeps the 
belt waterproof and pliable and greatly increases its power 
transmitting qualities. Linseed oil paint is sometimes 
used, but it is objectionable because it will dry and render 
the belt so stiff that it is liable to crack. Therefore, it 
should not be used, except, possibly, on a belt that is nearly 
worn out and is soon to be discarded. If impossible to 
get dressing, use castor oil — the crude if obtainable. In 
an emergency, cheap laundry soap, containing rosin, will 
help out. 

Lacing a Belt. Many make a mistake in thinking that 
the heavier a lacing is made, the more durable it will be. 
This leads them to make the lacing so thick and clumsy 
that the belt is strained in going around the pulleys, caus- 
ing the lace to wear out in a short time and probably the 
belt to be torn between the holes. A good lacing is as sim- 
ilar as possible to the rest of the belt, so that it passes over 
the pulleys without shock or jar. To lace a belt begin by 
cutting off the ends of the belt square, using a try-square 
for this purpose, especially on the wider belts. Use a 
punch small enough so that the lacing will fill the holes, 



214 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 



but will not pull In so tightly as to tear the belt. Space 
the holes equally across the belt, leaving the outside holes 
far enough (about one-half inch), from the edge of the 
belt to prevent the possibility of their tearing out. Fig. 51 





FIG. 51. SPACING OF HOLES IN LEATHER BELTS. 

shows the position of the holes for the common widths of 
belts. In a leather belt the holes may be quite near the 
end {y2 to % inch), without tearing out, and when so 
placed the belt will pass smoothly over the pulleys. A belt 
is much more apt to break or tear between the holes than 
it is to tear from the holes to the end. 

The belt of a stacker-web laced by turning up the 
ends of the belt is shown by A and B of Fig. 52. Any 





FIG. 52. BELT LACING WITH ENDS TURNED UP. 



The puIvIvEys and bei^ting o^ a separator 215 



rubber or stitched canvas belt that does not run over idler 
or tightener pulleys, causing both sides of the belt to be 
in contact with pulleys, may be laced in this v/ay. For 
these this lacing has the advantage of lasting two or three 
times as long as the ordinary one. The reason is that the 
lace is not exposed to wear and the belt will pass around 





FIG. 53. LACING FOR FOUR-INCH LEATHER BELT. 

the smallest pulley without straining either holes or lace 
leather. If trouble be experienced in keeping an old main 
belt laced, this method may be used with success. 

A four-inch belt laced in the ordinary manner is shown 
by Fig. 53. The side shown in the first view should be run 
next to the pulley. The lacing shown in Fig. 55 
is very satisfactory where a belt passes over small pulleys 
or idlers, for it bends easily in either direction. It is there- 
fore very durable and satisfactory for a rubber or stitched 
canvas wind stacker belt. Also the belt driving beater and 
crank should be laced this way, but as this is of leather, the 
holes may be nearer the end than in the cut, v/hich shows 
the spacing for rubber or stitched canvas. 



2l6 SCIENCE 01^^ SUCCESSI^UIv THRESHING 

The holes to fasten the ends should be punched in line 
with the lace holes so that they will be in the right place 
when the belt is cut off and they become lace holes. The 
best way to fasten an end is to draw it into a small hole, 
then back through the same hole, cutting off the end to 
leave about one-half inch. New belts stretch considerably 
the first few days and the ends of the lacing should not be 
cut off short until the stretch is taken out of the belts, so the 
same lacing may be used for re-sewing. If the belts have 
become wet and shrunk, the lacings should be let out before 
putting them on. If very tight, they cause undue friction 
on the bearings, making them heat. Then, too, tight belts 
have been known to cause the breaking off of a shaft. 

Lacing Stitched Canvas Belt. A stitched canvas belt, 
though highly satisfactory in other respects, is often con- 
demned because the lacing will not hold. It can, however, 
be laced in several ways that are satisfactory. In any 
event, the holes for the lacing must be made with an awl 
and not with a hollow punch, which cuts off many strands 
and greatly weakens the belt. The tine of an old pitchfork 
makes a very good awl for this purpose and the oval shape 
will be found convenient. The holes must not be nearer 
the end than seven-eighths of an inch or nearer the edge 
than five-eighths of an inch. 

The lacing illustrated is perhaps the best for canvas 
stitched belts, and threshermen having the running of 
these belts in charge are advised to practice making this 
lacing some rainy day until they can make it without diffi- 



THE PULLEYS AND BELTING OE A SEPARATOR 21/ 




culty. It is a hinge lacing which allows it to pass around 
small pulleys and tighteners without straining. The ends 
of the belt are protected against fraying. In the example 
illustrated, there are twenty-eight strands of lacing con- 
necting two ends of the belt. 

The illustrations 
show a 5-inch belt, 
the size used to drive 
the wind stacker. To 
make this lacing, first 
select a rood lace, 
not too thick, three- 
eighths of an inch 
wide and 7 feet 8 in- 
ches long for 5-inch 

belt. Lay out the holes as shown in Fig. 54. Begin at 
one edge of the belt, passing the lace up through the out- 
side hole in one end and then down between the ends of 
the belt and up through the hole in the other end of belt. 
Notice that the lace passes twice through each hole. When 
the ends of the lace have been put through the holes, both 
must be passed between the ends of the belt to the opposite 
side as shown in A, Fig. 55. When this is done, put the ends 
through the same holes again, then pass them both be- 
tween the ends of the belt to opposite side as at B. One 
end should not be put through two holes in succession 
and hoth ends of the lace must he passed through between 
the ends of the belt to the opposite side before either is 



FIG. 54. LOCATION OF HOLES FOR 
LACING CANVAS BELT. 



2l8 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIy THRESHING 



put through the hole. Continue in exactly the same man- 
ner as at C, until the lacing is finished as shown in D. 

When lacing is complete the appearance is exactly the 

same on both sides, the straight strands being on one end 

of the belt on one side, and on the other end on the opposite 




STITCHED CANVAS BELT LACINGS. 



side. Care must be taken to keep lacing as near the same 
tension throughout the width as possible, so that one edge 
will not be tighter than the other, in which case the belt 
would be crooked and not run true. For the same reason a 
try-square should be used in cutting off the ends of the 
belt. 




CHAPTER VIII 

LUBRICATION AND CARE OF THE 
SEPARATOR 

iHE life of the machine depends largely upon the 
thoroughness of its lubrication. This is especially 
true of the steel separator, which does not fail 
from rotting. A light oil with good wearing qualities 
should be used. Thin oil is surer to reach the place it 
is intended to lubricate than thick, heavy oil. A journal 
is more apt to be continually lubricated when a small 
amount of oil is applied frequently than when a great deal 
is used at longer intervals. Many of the oil boxes on the 
machine, as for example those on the rock shafts, may be 
partly filled with wool or cotton waste. Either will keep 
out dirt and make them hold oil longer. This wool or 
waste should be renewed at the beginning of each season 
and more frequently in localities in which there is sand. 
Use a nail or soft wire to clean out oil holes, for if a piece 
of steel be used when shaft is running, it is liable to "score" 
and injure the journal. 

Hot Bearings. The causes of hot bearings are : i — In- 
sufficient lubrication because of too little or too poor oil or 
hole being stopped up; 2 — dirt or grit on the journal; 3 — 

219 



220 SCIENCE^ O^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

box too tight ; 4 — belt too tight ; 5 — box not in line with 
shaft ; 6 — collar or pulley too tight against end of box ; 7 — 
journal rough or shaft sprung; 8 — improper balancing of 
heavy, high-speed parts. In case a box heats, cool with 
water, clean the oil holes carefully, oil liberally and if it 
gets hot again, stop and remove the cap, clean the bearing 
carefully and be sure the oil holes and grooves are open 
before replacing it. Also be careful to leave the paper 
liners undisturbed. If the babbitt has adhered to the shaft, 
because of overheating, scrape every particle of it from the 
shaft with a knife. If the journal has been cut and is 
consequently rough because of the formation of ridges, 
smooth it carefully with a fine file and wipe it thoroughly 
so that no filings remain. Oil it well before replacing cap. 
Because of the expansion due to heating, it sometimes 
happens that a shaft that is cutting becomes fast in its box 
so that it will not turn. If the box be in one piece so there 
is no cap to remove, after cooling with water, kerosene 
may be applied to loosen it. In very windy weather the 
right cylinder box requires especial attention as the con- 
stant swaying of the main-belt causes an extra amount 
of friction on this bearing. 

Greasing the Trucks. This book would be incomplete 
without a word of warning concerning the damage, fre- 
quently caused by neglect, to the skeins and hubs of the 
trucks of an outfit. To make the lubrication of truck- 
wheels convenient, in some cases, the hubs are provided 



LUBRICATION AND CARE OF THE SEPARATOR 221 

with grease cups or oil-holes closed with plugs. However, 
this means of lubricating cannot always be relied upon, as 
the holes are apt to become clogged. All truck-wheels 
should frequently be removed and the skein cleaned of all 
caked grease and dirt. The skein should then be well 
coated with axle-grease, especially near the large end 
which has the greatest wear. It is well to spread some 
machine-oil over the axle-grease. The separator truck- 
wheels especially should have frequent attention, as the 
dust and chaff of threshing quickly dries the grease or oil. 
A good operator will not permit the skeins and hubs of the 
machinery in his care to be injured for want of proper 
lubrication. 

The Care of a Separator. With good care a separator 
should last eight or ten years, and there are many "Case" 
machines that have been in use twice that length of time. 
When the threshing season is finished, the machine should 
be thoroughly cleaned and housed in a dry place. Dirt 
that has been allowed to remain on the machine during 
the winter, holds moisture, ruins varnish and paint, and 
rusts the sieve and other iron and steel parts. The appear- 
ance of a machine usually tells a truer tale of its condition 
than the number of years it has been run. The separator 
should be given a coat of good coach varnish at least once 
in two years, especially wood frame machines. Before 
applying the varnish, the paint should be thoroughly 
cleaned and all grease and oil removed with benzine. 



2.22 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

Before the beginning of each threshing season, the 
separator should be carefully overhauled, worn cylinder 
teeth removed and all broken slats in the straw-rack or 
stacker-rakes replaced. Any boxes that are worn should 
be taken up or rebabbitted if necessary. The wooden boxes 
on the straw-rack, conveyor and shoe eccentrics can easily 
and cheaply be replaced when worn out. All nuts that 
are loose should be tightened and any bolts that may have 
been lost, replaced. In tightening a nut it should always 
be turned square with the piece on which it rests. If this 
be habitually done, not only does the machine look better, 
but it serves to make the loosening of a nut apparent. 

Canvas-Cover. If a canvas be used to cover the separa- 
tor nights and when not running during the threshing 
season, its better appearance will amply repay the extra 
trouble and expense, in addition to prolonging its use- 
fulness. 

In Laying up a Wood Frame Machine see that the 
bolster is blocked up by bolster-jacks or other means so 
as to hold the frame square. This is especially necessary 
if the separator has a side-gear, if the main-belt remains 
on the reel, or, if for other reasons, one side is heavier 
than the other. 

Removing the Beater. The beater can be taken out 
of the machine without removing the shaft or pulley. This 
may be done on wood-frame machines by removing the 
pieces of siding and the bolts holding bearings and blocks 
and lifting the beater straight up. On steel machines the 



LUBRICATION AND CARE OF THE SEPARATOR 223 

girt and circular piece of sheet-steel on the left-hand side 
are removed and the beater taken out through the hole 
thus created. 

To Remove Rock-Shafts. The rock-shafts are en- 
larged at one end so that when the set-screws are loosened 
they may be readily removed. The front rock-shaft is 
straight and can be taken out at the left side of the ma- 
chine by removing its left-hand box and simply loosening 
the set-screws in the vibrating-arms. The rear rock-shaft 
is bent and is taken out by loosening the set-screws and 
left-hand box and moving the shaft to the left until out of 
the right-hand arm, then to the right until out of the left- 
hand arm. 

To Remove the Stran'-Rack. Take off the tailer-rack, 
pan and rock-shaft, if these parts be on the machine. Take 
off the four straw-rack boxes, the bolts of which can be 
easily reached with a socket-wrench through the openings 
for vibrating-arms. The rack can then be taken out 
through the rear of the machine. 

To Remove the Grain-Conveyor. Take out the bolts 
holding rear straw-rack boxes and fasten rear end of straw- 
rack to deck of separator. Remove the rear rock-shaft 
as already explained. Then raise the rear end of the con- 
veyor and remove the rocker-arms through the opening in 
separator sides. Next, take out the bolts in front con- 
veyor-boxes and drop the conveyor so that the boxes may 
be taken off their studs on the rocker-arms. The conveyor 
can then be removed through rear of separator. 



224 SCIENCE 01? SUCCESSFUIy thresiiing 

To Remove the Shoe. The shoe can be taken out with- 
out removing the straw-rack or conveyor. Take out the 
rear rock-shaft, raise the straw-rack and conveyor as high 
as the deck will allow and secure them in this position. 
Disconnect the four wood hangers and pitmans and the 
shoe may then be taken out. 

To Reach the Tan. The lower part of fan housing is 
readily removed when it is necessary to reach the fan for 
repairs or other purposes. Take out the bolts holding the 
end segments and those at the joints on the front and rear 
of the drum. 

Babbitting Boxes. To babbitt any kind of a box, first 
chip out all of the old babbitt and clean the shaft and box 
thoroughly with benzine or gasoline. It is necessary that 
the box be perfectly clean or gas will be formed from the 
grease when the hot metal is poured in and thus cause 
"blow holes." 

A Solid Box may be babbitted in the field by covering 
the shaft with paper. Draw it smooth and fasten the 
lapped ends with mucilage. If paper is not used, the 
shrinkage of the metal in cooling may make it fast so that 
the shaft cannot be turned. When this happens it is 
sometimes necessary to put the shaft and box together in 
the fire to melt the babbitt or else break the box to get it 
off. Paper around the shaft will prevent this and if taken 
out when the babbitt has cooled, the shaft will be found 
to be just loose enough to run well. The shaft is some- 



I^UBRICATION AND CARE OF THE SEPARATOR 225 

times covered with smoke or painted with white lead or 
graphite as a substitute for paper. The usual shop practice 
in manufacturing is to use a mandrel or arbor from one- 
one-hundredth to one-sixty- fourth of an inch larger than 
the shaft to be run in the bearing. 

Before pouring the box, block up the shaft until it is 
in line and in center of the box and put stiff putty around 
the shaft against the ends of the box to keep the babbitt 
from running out. Be sure to leave air-holes at each end 
on top, making a little funnel of putty around each. Also 
make a larger funnel around the pouring hole, or, if there 
be none, enlarge one of the air-holes and pour into it. 
These putty funnels should extend a little above the box so 
as to give pressure to the babbitt and to allow the metal 
to fill in, as it shrinks in cooling. The metal should be 
heated until it just hot enough to run freely and the fire 
should not be too far away. It injures the metal to over- 
heat it or to allow it to remain in a molten state without 
stirring. When the metal becomes hot enough to brown 
a white-pine stick, or when it begins to change from a 
silvery to a yellowish tinge, is the best time to pour. When 
ready to pour the box, do not hesitate or stop, but pour con- 
tinuously and rapidly until the metal appears at the air 
holes. The oil hole may be stopped with a wooden plug 
and if this plug extends through far enough to touch the 
shaft, it will leave a hole through the babbitt so that it will 
not be necessary to drill one. 

15 



226 SCIENCE OF' SUCCESSFUL THRESHING 

A Split Box is Babbitted in the same manner except 
that strips of cardboard or sheet-iron are placed between 
the two halves of the box and against the shaft to divide 
the babbitt. To allow the babbitt to run from the upper 
half to the lower, cut four or six V shaped notches, a quar- 
ter of an inch deep, in the edges of the sheet-iron or card- 
board which touch the shaft. Insert three or four thick- 
nesses of cardboard called "liners" between the halves 
of the box to allow for taking up wear. Bolt the cap on 
securely before pouring. When the babbitt has cooled, 
break the box apart by driving a cold chisel between the 
halves. Trim off the sharp edges of the babbitt with a 
round-nose chisel, cut oil grooves from the oil hole toward 
the ends of the box and on the slack side of the box or the 
one opposite to the direction in which the belt pulls. The 
shaft may be covered with paper, as explained for a solid 
box, but if this be not done, the babbitt should be scraped 
to fit the shaft properly. 

The ladle should hold eight or ten pounds of babbitt 
metal. If much larger it is awkward to handle and if too 
small it will not keep the metal hot long enough to pour a 
good box. A cast-iron ladle will keep the metal hot longer 
than a wrought-iron or steel one. The 20 bar cylinder 
boxes each take about six pounds of metal, and the 12 bar 
cylinder boxes each take two to three pounds. If no putty 
is at hand, clay mixed with machine oil to the proper con- 
sistency, may be used. Use the best babbitt you can ob- 
tain for the cylinder boxes. 



CHAPTER IX 

FEEDING THE SEPARATOR 

THE importance of having a separator properly fed 
■ is less realized at present than in the old days when 
all machines were fed by hand and the power was 
furnished by horses. Then it was evident that some men 
could feed more grain to a threshing cylinder in a given 
period, at the same time letting the horses do their work 
easier, than others less skilled in the art of feeding. To- 
day, as in the past, to get the best results from a separator, 
it must be fed so that the cylinder maintains a uniform 
speed. 

Feeding by Hand. To become a good hand feeder, con- 
siderable experience and practice are required. A good 
feeder tips his bundles well up against the cylinder cap, 
turning flat bundles up on edge, and always holding them 
from the under-side so that the cylinder may take from the 
top. But a slight movement is necessary to spread a 
bundle, and in fast threshing, feeding from both sides, each 
bundle should be fed almost entirely on its own side, keep- 
ing the cylinder full its entire width and having each 
bundle in position before the last of the preceding bundle 
has passed into the cylinder. A good feeder will keep 

227 



228 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

the straw-carrier evenly covered with straw, and will 
watch the stacker, tailings and grain elevators and know 
the moment anything goes wrong. 

Self-Feeders. A separator equipped with a feeding 
attachment may be spoken of as a ''self-feeder," but prop- 
erly speaking, the attachment itself is a "feeder," not a 
"self-feeder," because it feeds the separator, but does not 
feed itself. 

Attaching the Feeder. When necessary to attach a 
feeder in the field, a wagon placed in front of the separa- 
tor will afford a convenient means of supporting the 
feeder head while bolting it in place. When the head is 
secured in position, the "notched bottom" and "retarder 
bottom" may be put in place. The plate of the latter must 
rest on top of the concave so that no ledge is formed. 
Any man who has tried feeding a cylinder by hand when 
the feed board had slipped off the concave, will under- 
stand the importance of this. The carrier is held in the 
notches provided for it on the head, by pins. AVhen all 
pulleys are fastened in place, all the bearings are oiled 
and the governor adjusted according to the directions 
given below, the feeder is ready to run. 

After attaching a feeder, it is well to try the cylinder 
for end-play, for it may be that the ironsides supporting 
cylinder boxes have been sprung enough to cause too 
much end-play or else press the boxes so hard against 
the hubs of the cylinder heads as to cause heating. This 
is especially true of wood separators. 



i^E£:ding the separator 



229 



Folding Feeder Carrier. The carrier is folded out of 
the way for transportation, but before doing this, the 
center-board must be removed. 



STRAW 

OOVERNOR 
SHOES 




FIG. 56. SECTIONAL VIEW OF CASE FEEDER. 

Oiling. The crank-shaft bearings and the drive belt 
tightener stud should be oiled frequently. The wooden 
crank boxes can not be oiled while running. Give these 
your attention whenever the machine is standing still. 



230 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUIv THRESHING 

The other bearings also need to be oiled several times a 
day. The friction band of governor should not be oiled 
after it becomes smooth. 

The Speed Governor drives the feeder by means of 
a friction band, which is clamped over a friction pulley, 
by means of the centrifugal action of the weights. The 
spring tension on these weights should be such that the 
feeder will not start until cylinder is very near its normal 
speed. In starting a new feeder any paint that may be 
on the face of the friction pulley should be carefully re- 
moved and the surface scoured with emery-cloth or fine 
sand-paper until smooth and bright. A very little oil may 
be used the first few days, but when once properly adjusted, 
it will not require any further lubrication. The best 
adjustment of the governor will be found to be as fol- 
lows: First adjust the friction band so that the weight 
arms m.ay be pulled out about half way by hand. Then 
set the weights about one-half inch from the ends of the 
arms and give the spring but little tension when the 
weights are in and the band is loose. The final adjust- 
ment of the spring can best be made by trying it and 
setting it to suit the speed. Wrench 5548T will be found 
convenient in adjusting the spring. 

The Straw Governor should be adjusted by the oper- 
ator to suit the rate of threshing and the requirements of 
the grain. This is done by means of the thumb nut at the 
top of the feeder, on right-hand side, screwing it up for 



FEEDING THE SEPARATOR 23 1 

more (or dry) straw and unscrewing- it for less (or 
damp) straw. See that the trip pins be not allowed to 
wear rounding" on the points so that they fail to catch 
each other easily. If worn rounding, they should be 
reversed end for end or else filed or ground sharp. Do 
not allow the sprocket chain, which drives carrier and 
hopper bottom, to become slack, as the proper action of 
the parts will be interfered with and excessive wear and 
pounding result. 

Speed of Feeder. With the regular cylinder speed of 
750 revolutions for the 20 bar and 1075 revolutions of 
the 12 bar cylinders the knife-arm crank of the feeder 
will make 258 revolutions per minute. The retarders 
are driven from the hopper-bottom shaft, either through 
the intermediate retarder sprocket or direct. The inter- 
mediate sprocket being- reversible, three speeds for the 
retarders may be obtained for each speed of the carrier. 
The low speed is best suited for very tough grain and the 
high speed, when it is dry and fluffy. Ordinarily, the 
best results are obtained by running the crossed drive belt 
on the inner set of pulleys. The velocity of the carrier- 
rake may be increased by using special sprocket A5447T 
(8 teeth) in place of the regular one, 5447T (7 teeth) on 
the stud-shaft. 



232 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSI^UI. THRESHING 

AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT. 

16 ounces (oz.) = 1 pound (lb.). 
100 lbs. =1 hundredweight (cwt.). 

2000 lbs. = 1 ton. 

2240 lbs. = 1 long ton. 

NOTE — The pound and ounce in Troy Weig-ht, used by jiewelers, 
and in Apothecaries' Weight used by druggists, are different from 
those g-iven in the above table of Avoirdupois Weights. The grain, 
however, is the same for all. The Troy and Apothecaries' ounce 
contains 480 grains and the pound 5760 grains; whereas, thie Avoir- 
dupois ounce contains 437.5 grains, and the pound 7000 grains. 

DRY MEASURE. 

2 pints (pt.) = 1 quart (qt.). 
8 qts. =1 peck (pk.). 

4 pks. =1 bushel (bu.). 

NOTE — The standard U. S Cor Winchester) struck bushel con- 
tains 2150.42 cubic inches. A box a foot square and a foot deep 
contains about four-fifths (.8035) of a bushel. The dry quart con- 
tains 67.2 cu. in. 

LIQUID MEASURE. 

2 pints (pt.) =: 1 quart (qt.). 

4 qts. = 1 gallon (gal.). 

31^ gals. ^ =1 barrel (bbl). 

50 gals, (approximately) = 1 oil bbl. 
NOTE — The liquid quart, such as is used for milk, molasses, 
oil, etc., contains 57.75 cubic inches and therefore is considerably 
smaller than the dry quart used for grains, seeds, fruits, etc. It 
would require about 37 ^A (more exactly 37.236+) liquid quart 
measurefuls to fill a bushel instead of the 32 dry quarts. Th-e 
U. S. gallon contains 231 cubic inches. The Imperial gallon (used 
in Canada) contains 277.274 cubic inches. A U. S. gallon of water 
weighs about 8% pounds and the Imperial gallon weighs 10 
pounds. 

LINEAL (OR long) MEASURE. 

12 inches (in.) =1 foot (ft). 

3 ft. =1 vard (yd.). 

W/2 ft. =1 rod. 

5^ yds. r= 1 rod. 

320 rods (or 5280 ft.) = 1 mile. 
368.5 rods (or 6080.26 ft.)=l knot (used at sea). 

SQUARE MEASURE. 

144 square inches (sq. in.) = 1 square foot (sq. ft.). 
9 sq. ft. =1 square yard (sq. yd.). 

30^ sq. yds. or 212% sq. ft. = 1 square rod (sq. rd.). 
160 sq. rds. = 1 acre. 

640 acres = 1 section or square mile. 

CUBIC MEASURE. 

1728 cubic inches (cu. in.) = 1 cubic foot (cu. ft.). 
27 cu. ft. =1 cubic yard (cu. yd.). 

128 cu. ft. =1 cord (of wood, 4x4x8 ft.). 



CHAPTER X 

THE STRAW STACKERS 

THE demands of the farmers in various localities 
for a means of handling straw, especially suited 
to their particular needs, has led to the designing" 
and building of several different devices for this purpose. 
Common Stackers. This is the name given to the 
plain straw carriers which do not swing. Ordinarily they 
are attached to the separator and are hoisted and lowered 
by means of a rope and windlass. The short lengths are 
usually in one section, but the longer ones are jointed 
so they may be folded for transportation. Being pivoted 
to the separator at a point near the ground, a common 
stacker is level when its end is not more than three feet 
from the ground. Therefore, the straw will be dropped 
nearer and nearer to the separator as the stacker is ele- 
vated. This must be allowed for in locating the stack, 
which must be placed so close to the machine that the 
carrier, when elevated, will not draw away from the stack, 
but will drop the straw well onto it. 

The Attached Stacker. This is the name given to the 
automatically swinging stacker which is attached to the 
separator. The present style has an upright-section, to 

23Z 



234 SCIENCE O^ SUCCESSFUIy THRESHING 

the upper end of which the outer carrier is attached. This 
brings the pivot-point about ten feet from the ground, 
and since the outer carrier is this distance from the ground 
when level, its end does not perceptibly drav/ away from 
the stack as it is elevated. 

Operating the Attached-Stacker. The carrier of this 
stacker may be made to swing automatically, and, as is 
the case with other self-swinging stackers, the length or 
arc of swing depends upon the position of the trip-pins. 
Many stack builders prefer to swing the carrier by hand 
from the stack. This may be done by disengaging the 
driving apparatus. The carrier of this stacker should 
always be folded so as to rest on the deck of the separator, 
before the machine is moved from place to place. 

Oiling the Attached-Stacker. All of the gearing 
should be frequently greased, especially the bevel-gears 
and the worm-gears. The upright bearing is oiled through 
the center of the shaft. All the other shaft bearings are 
provided with oil-cups which should be partly filled with 
a little wool or cotton-waste and oiled regularly. 

Independent Stackers. This is the name given to 
swinging stackers which are mounted on trucks separately 
from those of the separator. The independent stacker was 
quite universally popular at one time. Of late years the 
wind and other swinging stackers have replaced it very 
generally. 

The Wind Stacker has steadily increased in popularity 



THE STRAW STACKERS 



235 



until to-day there are more of them sold than of all the 
various other varieties of stackers combined. The wind 
stacker has always been a favorite with the threshermen 




FIG. 57. SECTIONAL VIEW OF WIND STACKER. 

because of its freedom from "trappy" features, the absence 
of dust and litter about the separator equipped with it, 
and the ease with which the chute is swung around on the 
deck of separator for transportation. 

Operating the Wind Stacker. To make the chute 



236 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUI. THRESHING 



swing automatically, the two-inch belt must be put on 
to drive the turret and if the clutch be engaged, the tur- 
ret will slowly revolve, carrying the chute with it. It may 
be made to go in the opposite direction or stopped at any 

time. Rivets are used as trip-pins and these will cause 
stacker to reverse its swing automatically. Any desired 




FIG. 58. TELESCOPING DEVICE FOR STRAW-CHUTE. 

arc of swing is obtained by placing the trip-pins in the 
different holes in the main worm-wheel. The machine 

should never be moved until the chute rests in its support. 
If not desired to use the automatic movement, the two- 
inch belt may be left off. 

To make the stacker drive belt run in the center of the 
stacker pulley, place a little card-board under the front 
part of the idler bracket to make the belt run closer to the 
machine, or under the rear part of idler bracket to make 
the belt run farther out. Underlaying the bracket above 



THE STRAW STACKERS 237 

or below so as to raise the outer or the inner edge 
of the idler pulley, will not change the position of the belt 
on the pulley It must be put under the front or rear part 
to accomplish the desired result, as this will divert the 
course of the belt slightly on its way to the pulley. 

Stack Building with Wind Stacker. Where it is desir- 
able to stack the straw so as to preserve it, the wind stacker 
must be handled by a competent man. In starting the 
stack, bring the chute about level, extend it to its full 
length, raise the hood slightly, and build the back of the 
stack first. Always keep the farther side of the stack 
highest. Make the stack bottom at least one-third smaller 
than would be done were it built by hand, and allow the 
straw chute to oscillate. It is very important that the 
farther side of the stack be kept highest, as it furnishes 
a back wall to stop the force of the straw. A good rule 
to follow is : "Always throw the straw onto the stack 
and not over it." In topping out, allow the straw to strike 
the top and glance over it ; in this way the farther side of 
the stack will be filled out and the straw will be prevented 
from rolling down or going over too far. When the 
straw chute is at the corner of the stack, raise and lower 
hood quickly, thereby distributing the straw and binding 
th^ corner. 

Lubricating the Wind Stacker. Keep the bearings 
of the driving shafts well lubricated with hard oil, espe- 
cially the one next to the pulley. The bevel-gears driving 
fan on geared stackers must be kept well greased. All 



238 science: o^ successfuIv threshing 

the bearings and worm gears of the automatic device for 
swinging the straw chute should be oiled. 

Speed of Stacker Fan. It is desirable to keep the speed 
of the wind-stacker fan as low as possible, not only because 
it makes good stack building easier, but also because it 
requires less power to run. On page 516 of ^'Kent's 
Pocket-Book" an example is given of a fan which took 
.25 H. P. to drive at a speed of 600 r. p. m. The same 
fan required .70 H. P., or nearly three times as much 
when the speed was increased to 800. 

Combination-Stackers. The combination-stacker has 
been made because of the demand for a stacker that would 
give the thresherman all the advantages of the simplicity 
and freedom from litter of the wind-stacker, and, at the 
same time, give the farmer, who desires to have his straw 
stacked by men placed on the stack, a stacker which de- 
livers the straw onto the stack by means of an ordinary 
carrier and carrier-rake. 

Attaching the Combination-Stacker. Up to the point 
of putting on the turret, this stacker is attached in the 
same manner as the wind-stacker. The turret, however, 
which has the mechanism for driving the rake, in addition 
to the parts used on the wind-stacker, is attached eight 
inches higher than that of the wind-stacker, in order to 
bring the carrier sufficiently high to swing clear of the 
deck of the separator. Holes are provided in the posts 
of the frame for attaching the turret in the positions re- 
quired by either the combination or wind-stacker. After 



THE STRAW STACKERS 239 

the turret is in place, and the two sections of the carrier 
bolted together, the carrier may be attached. This is con- 
veniently done by placing it in position upon the deck of 
the separator, as for transportation. The hoisting cables, 
sproclcets, chain, hand-wheels for operating and the car- 
rier-rake may now be put on. The presser-strips are 
hinged to the hinged-screen at one end, their outer end 
being carried by leather straps. 

Operating the Combination-Stacker. This stacker re- 
ceives its swing movement in the same manner as the 
wind-stacker. The hoisting mechanism is self-locking 
so the carrier cannot fall. The presser-strips hold the 
straw against the carrier-rake, thereby making it possible 
to elevate the carrier to an angle of about forty-five de- 
grees. The carrier should always be swung onto the deck 
of the separator before moving the machine from place 
to place. Stack-builders, who are unfamiliar with this 
stacker, should be cautioned against starting the stack too 
far under the carrier as it does not pull away from the 
stack until elevated to a considerable height. 

Oiling the Combination-Stacker. The bearings of the 
jack and upright-shafts are fitted with compression-cups 
for hard-oil. These may be turned up as often as neces- 
sary to give sufficient lubrication. The bevel-gears driv- 
ing the fan should be greased. The turret mechanism 
driving the carrier-rake should be oiled occasionally. The 
intermediate-gear-ring, and the two small pinions meshing 
with it, should be greased. 



240 



SCIE:nCE of SUCCESSl^UL THRESHING 



WEIGHT PER BUSHEL OF GRAIN. 



The following table gives the number of pounds per bushel 
required by law or custom in the sale of grain or seeds in the 
several states : 





u 

48 
50 


ct 

V 

m 
60 


<U 
u 

m 

52 
40 
45 
48 


u 

(U 

> 
o 

G 
60 


CD 


^ 

1 


U5 
■4-> 

O 




c 

O 

U 

V 

tn 


o 
6 


4>> 


Arkansas 


56 
54 

56 
56 
66 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 

'56' 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
60 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 


66 
52 

56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 
66 
56 
66 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 
6S 
66 
56 
54 
56 
56 
66 
56 
56 
56 
66 
56 
56 
66 
56 


45 

'45' 
45 

'45' 
45 
45 
45 

'45' 
'45' 

'45' 

45 
44 

'45' 

'42' 
45 
45 


60 


California 






33 

32 
32 
35 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
30 
34 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
34 
32 
30 
30 
30 
32 
32 
32 
36 
30 
32 
33 
32 
32 
32 
32 


60 


Connecticut 








56 


Dist. Columbia. . 


47 
40 
48 
48 
48 
60 
48 
32 
48 
48 
48 
48 
-^8 
48 
48 
-^8 
48 
48 

'48' 
48 
48 
48 
46 
47 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 


63 


60 
60 
60 
60 
60 






60 


Crporoia 






60 


Illinois. 


60 
60 
60 
60 
60 


52 
50 

52 
50 
52 


56 


45 


60 


Indiana 


60 


Iowa 


56 


48 


60 


Kansas 


60 


Kentucky 

T oiiisiana 


60 


56 





60 
60 


TVTainp 


64 

"ei" 

48 

"go 

60 
60 
62 

'eo' 
"eo' 

'eo' 

64 

60 
60 


48 
48 
48 








60 


Manitoba 

Maryland 


60 


56 


34 


60 
60 








60 


Michigan 

Minnesota 

Missouri 

N^ebra^ka 


48 
42 
52 
52 
48 
50 


60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
64 


56 
'56* 


'48' 
50 


60 
60 
60 
60 


XTf^w Vnrlr 






60 


New Jersey 

New Hampshire 
North Carolina 






60 






60 


50 
42 
50 
42 
42 
48 
52 
56 
48 
48 
52 
48 


64 
60 
60 
60 
60 
62 
60 
60 

'64' 

60 
60 






60 


North Dakota. . . 
OViio 


56 




60 
60 


Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania. . . . 
South Dakota. . . 

Smith r^nrnlinp 


56 




60 

60 






60 


56 


50 


60 
60 


Vermont 

Virginia 

West Virginia. . 


60 




60 

60 






60 






60 











CHAPTER XI 

THE GRAIN HANDLERS 

THE devices used to take the grain from the grain 
auger and deliver it into sacks or into wagons, as 
the case may be, are called "grain handlers." 
These are made in several styles, some of which, in addi- 
tion to elevating the grain, weigh it and automatically 
record the number of bushels threshed. 

The weight of a given quantity of grain varies accord- 
ing to the kind and quality. Although almost universally 
sold by the bushel, the number of bushels is determined 
by weight so that the grain is actually sold by the pound. 
For example, if the price of wheat be one dollar per 
bushel, one dollar will purchase sixty pounds of wheat. 
Sixty pounds of heavy wheat will not fill a bushel measure, 
but this weight of light wheat will more than fill the 
measure. In the days when there were no grain handlers, 
and the grain from the separator was delivered into half- 
bushel or bushel measures, it was usually customary to 
give "big measure." By this method, were a farmer to 
sell all of his grain, he would receive pay for a greater 
number of bushels than he paid the thresherman for thresh- 
ing it. This custom of giving "big measure" in threshing, 
16 241 



242 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSI^UI, THRESHING 

undoubtedly grew out of the fact that it was necessary to 
heap the measure in order to make the light grain ''hold 
out." Since the measuring was done by someone who 
looked out for the interests of the farmer rather than 
those of the thresherman, the measures were usually 
heaped with all that they would hold, and in some cases, 
even tamped in order to make them hold more. This, 
of course, was unfair to the thresherman. The thresher- 
man should insist on pay for every bushel by weight, as 
he would do, were he selling the grain. When engaging 
the threshing, he should tell the farmer of his intention 
to do this, and then adjust the price accordingly. Since 
the weighing attachments accurately weigh and auto- 
matically record the number of bushels threshed, all fair- 
minded men must admit that the use of one insures a 
record of the amount threshed that is correct and fair 
to both thresherman and farmer. The prejudice against 
weighers that formerly existed, because of the custom of 
giving "big measure," has gradually disappeared until 
they have come into almost universal use. Their accuracy 
was at first often doubted, but in many cases the weigher's 
record of a certain amount of grain has been compared 
with the weight of the same grain on standard scales and 
found to correspond very closely. 

The No. I Weigher consists of an elevator permanently 
attached to the left side of the separator, the weighing 
apparatus, and a conveyor across the deck of the separa- 



TH^ grain HANDI.ERS 



243 



tor. The cross-conveyor is of sufficient height to dehver 
the grain into a wagon box on either side of the machine. 
The purchaser of a No. i weigher is given the choice of 
two plain spouts 
for delivering 
the grain in bulk 
into wagon 
boxes, or of the 
bagging attach- 
ment for deliv- 
ering the grain 
into sacks. 
(This bagging 
attachment has 
twin-spouts t o 
allow putting on 
the empty sack 
before removing 
the full one. ) 
The No. I 
weigher requires no folding for moving on the road, and 
is no higher than other parts of the separator. For these 
reasons it is largely used in localities in which the thresh- 
ing is done principally in and around barns. It is one of 
the most popular of the grain handlers. 

When "skittish" horses are used on the grain wagons, 
it is a wise precaution to place a fence post or log on the 




FIG. 59. HEAD OF CASE WEIGHER. 



244 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCESSFUL. THRESHING 

ground so that in backing, the rear wheels of the wagon 
will come against the log before striking and damaging 
the machine. 

The No. 2 Weigher is also called the ^'Dakota style 
weigher." The elevator is so high that the grain is suffi- 
ciently elevated to be delivered by the long spout on either 
side of the machine. In this way the cross conveyor is 
dispensed with. As the spout is long, it will hold con- 
siderable grain so that the exchange of sacks may be made 
in fast threshing, without danger of choking the elevator 
by obstructing its delivery. The grain may be delivered 
in bulk into wagons driven along side the separator as 
the end of the spout is a sufficient distance from the sep- 
arator to make it unnecessary to back the wagon up to 
the machine. Where grain is to be sacked, an empty sta- 
tionary wagon may be used to sack in, thus avoiding the 
necessity of lifting the sacks of grain into the wagon which 
hauls them away. The long spout is provided with hooks 
to hold the sacks. The No. 2 weigher is used very gen- 
erally in the localities where the threshing is done in the 
open field. It is the only suitable grain-handler for use 
in connection with portable-bins, such as are used in the 
Northwest. The spout is long enough to deliver the grain 
into these bins and the weighing apparatus automatically 
records the number of bushels. 

The No. 3 Weighing-Bagger. This attachment is in- 
tended for use in putting the grain into sacks on the 



The: grain handi^ers 245 

ground and it can be used only on the left-hand side of 
the separator. It has the same weighing mechanism as 
the No. I and No. 2 weighers. 

The No. 4 Bagger. This grain-handler does not weigh 
the threshed grain, but is used simply to elevate it to a 
sufficient height to run into sacks. It is often desirable 
to change the bagger from one side to the other on account 
of the wind or for other reasons. In doing this, it is 
necessary to change the drive to the other side as the belt 
driving must always be on the side opposite the elevator. 
The direction in which the auger runs must also be re- 
versed and this is accomplished by running the drive-belt 
crossed, when the elevator is on the left-hand side of 
the separator, and straight when on the right-hand side. 

The No. 5 Loader. This attachment serves the same 
general purpose as the No. 2 weigher, except that it does 
not weigh the grain. 

The No. 6 Loader is similar to the No. i weigher, but 
has no weighing mechanism. For those who desire to 
sack on the ground it may be used in place of the No. 4. 
The delivery of the grain may be changed from one side 
of the separator to the other by simply throwing a lever. 
It may be used to run the grain into a wagon box in bulk 
or into sacks in wagons as desired, as was explained for 
the No. I weigher. Note suggestion under No. i weigher 
concerning skittish horses. 

Attaching Grain-Handlers. All of the "Case" grain- 



246 SCIENCE OF^ SUCCESSI^UIv THRESHING 

handlers require a left-hand grain auger. When it is 
desired to attach one of these elevators to separators built 
previous to the year 1899, which were fitted with the right- 
hand grain augers, it is necessary to replace the old auger 
by a left-hand one, or the attachment will not work. 

What to do zuhen Weigher Pails to Dump. It is 
seldom that the weighing mechanism fails to work prop- 
erly, but it may do so from several causes. Some of the 
parts may be sprung out of shape from careless handling, 
causing them to bind or work hard. In case the weighing 
hopper does not dump each time it is filled with the amount 
of grain the weight is set for, first see that the hopper 
moves freely up and down. Malleable Trip Bracket 
148CW or its guide may have become sprung so that they 
do not engage freely. The trip-pin in end of 148CW 
should disengage readily from trip-dog 13CW and it may 
require filing to make it do so. It should lap about one- 
eighth inch on the dog. The weight and scale-beam must 
move freely without catching or rubbing on any stationary 
part and end of beam must strike Rest 150CW when down. 
The Trip Crank 20CW must be past its dead-center when 
the trip-pin rests against the dog, so that the weight of 
the cut-off (15CW and 16CW) will revolve the shaft 
and engage the worm as soon as the trip-dog is released 
by the downward movement of the hopper. The vertical 
shaft must turn freely, except when stopped by the trip- 
pin. The chain should be of such a length that it allows 



the: grain handi^ers 247 

the cut-off to fully close when the trip-crank is at its ex- 
treme throw. 

Caution Regarding the Sprocket-Chain. The chain in 
the elevators of all the grain-handlers must be kept prop- 
erly adjusted. Since they are driven from the bottom, 
when the chain is too loose, it does not hug the sprocket 
properly and wears unnecessarily. On the other hand 
the chain should not be so tight as to be in tension, for 
this causes unnecessary friction and the consequent wear 
on the chain and shafts. A worn chain that is liable to 
come apart can have its usefulness prolonged. The hook 
of each link may be closed by hammering its point, while 
its back rests on the horn of an anvil or similar projection. 
In this way the chain may be kept free from danger of 
unhooking until worn so that it fails from weakness. 
When necessary to shorten the chain, always remove two 
links at a time so that an odd number, three or five, of 
plain links remain betzueen the cups or "flights," as they 
are called. This is necessary because the lower sprocket 
has teeth engaging only alternate links of the chain and 
the links with flights attached must skip the teeth. This 
does not apply to the tailings-elevator chain, as elsewhere 
explained. 

^ Calculating a Quantity of Grain. Where a weigher is 
not used, the amount of grain in a wagon-box, portable bin 
or in any rectangular receptacle, may be calculated as fol- 
lows : Determine the length, width and height in inches. 



248 SCIENCE 01^ SUCCKSSFUI. THRESHING 

multiply them together and divide the product by 2150,* 
the number of cubic-inches in a bushel. The quotient will 
be the number of bushels. Where the depth is not uni- 
form, several measurements should be taken and their 
average used. For example, the usual v^agon-box is 36 
inches wide, 124 inches long and 16 inches deep inside. 
Therefore, v^hen level full, it holds: 36X124X16, 
divided by 2150 equals 33.22 bushels. This equals 2.07 
bushels for each inch of depth. In the same manner, the 
forty-inch wagon-box will hold: 40 X 124 X 16, divided 
by 2150, equals 36.91 bushels, or 2.37 bushels for each 
inch in depth. This method of calculating the quantity of 
grain gives the correct result only when the grain is stand- 
ard weight, and when lighter or heavier, correction should 
be made accordingly. The weight per bushel of grain and 
seeds is given on page 240. 



*More exactly, 2,150.42. 



INDEX 



FOR CONTENTS AND LIST OF ILI.USTRATIONS SEE PAGES 4 AND 5. 



Page 

Adjusting- Connecting' Rod . 50 

Adjusting Cross-Head 52 

Adjusting Eccentric Strap.. 54 
Adjusting Engine Bearing 50-54 
Adjusting Friction Clutch . 124 
Adjusting Horse Power . . . 135 
Adjusting Tailings Elevator 176 

Adjustable Sieves 170 

Admission, Steam 67 

Alfalfa, Threshing 199 

Alsike Clover 199 

Ascending Hills 62 

Ascertaining Cylinder S'peed 155 

Ashes, Removing the 41 

Asphaltum Paint 113 

Attached Stacker 233 

Attached Stacker, Oiling . . 234 
Attached Stacker, Operating 234 
Attaching Horse Power 

Brake 138 

Attaching Combined Stacker 238 
Attaching Engine Fittings. 9 

Attaching Feeder 228 

Attaching Grain Handlers.. 245 

Attaching Oil Pump 46 

Attaching Lubricator 48 



B 

Babbitting Boxes 

Babbitting Cannon Bearings 
Babbitting Eng. Bearings . . 

Babbitting Solid Box 

Babbitting Split Box 

Bagger, No. 4 

Balancing Separator Cyl. . . . 

Barley, Threshing 

Beading Boiler Tubes 

Bean Pulle^^s 

Bean Threshing 

Bean Threshing, Soy 

Bearings, Adjusting Engine 



224 
56 
4 
224 
226 
244 
159 
1S6 
115 
194 
193 
193 
.54 



B 

Page 

Bearings, Adjustment of . . . 50 
Bearings, Babbitting Can- 
non 56 

Bearings, Babbitting Eng.. 54 

Bearings, Engine 50-54 

Bearings, Hot 219 

Bearings, Lubricating Eng. 43 
Bearings, Separator Cyl.... 156 

Beater 162 

Beater, Removing the 222 

Belt, Governor 73 

Belt, How to Cross 61 

Belt, Main Drive 212 

Belting of a Separator 210 

Belts, Care of 211 

Belts, Lacing 213-218 

Belts, Lacing Canvas '216 

Belts, Leather 211 

Belts, Length of 206 

Belts, List of 206 

Belts, Rubber 211 

Blinds, Fan 169 

Blower, The 110 

Blower (see Wind Stacker) 

Board, Check 163 

Board, Wind 170 

Boiler, The 107 

Boiler, Cleaning the 113 

Boiler, Fittings 107 

Boiler, Foaming Ill 

Boiler, How to Test 117-119 

Boiler, Paint 113 

Boiler, Pressure in an Old.. 117 

Boiler, Priming 112 

Boiler, Temp, of Water in.. 120 
Boiler, Temp, of Steam in.. 120 
Boiler, Tubes, Expanding . 115 

Boiler, Using an Old 117 

Bourdon Tube 108 

Boxes, Babbitting 224 

Boxes, Babbitting Solid ... 224 



249 



3 

Page 

Boxes. Babbitting- Split 226 

Boxes, Separator CyliRder.. 156 

Brake, Horse Power 78 

Brake for Horse Power.... .138 

Brake, Prony 78 

Brass Fittings, Attacliing., 9 

Brasses, Connecting Rod .. 5 

Brasses, Eccentric Rod .... 53 

Brick Arcli 37 

Broken Water Glass 20 

Burning Coal 33 

Burning Cobs 40 

Burning Oil 39 

Burning Straw 35 

Burning Wood 34 

Brome Grass, Threshing... 202 

Buckwheat, Threshing 189 

Bull-Pinion Boxes 137 

Bull-Pinion Shaft 137 

C 

Cable. Use of 64 

Calculating Horse Power... 81 

Calculating Amount Grain.. 247 

Cannon Bearings, Oiling... 121 

Canvas Cover 222 

Canvas Belt, Stitched 216 

Care of Separator 221 

Center-Head, Packing 87 

Center-Head, To Test 8S 

Centers, Finding the D-ead. 93 

Chaffer 171 

Chain for Grain Handlers.. 246 

Chains for Eng., Steering.. 6 

Chains for Tailings Elev... 176 

Check-Board 163 

Check- Valve 2 8 

Check-Valve, Regrinding. . . 29 

Cleaning Apparatus 169 

Cleaning Boilers 113 

Cleaning Tubes 115 

Clearance of Engine 68 

Clearance, To Divide 68 

Clinkers 34 

Clover, I-Iulling 198 

Clutch, Friction 123 

Clutch, Friction, Adjusting. 124 

Clutch, Friction, Oiling ... 125 

Coal, Firing with 33 



C 

Page 

Cobs, Firing with 40 

Cobs, Fuel Value of 41 

Combination Stackers 238 

Combination Stacker, At- 
taching 238 

Combination Stacker, Oiling 239 
Combination Stacker, Oper- 
ating 239 

Common Sieve 171 

Common Sieves, List of 174. 

Common S'ieve, To Insert . 172 

Common Stacker 233 

Compound Cyl., Taking 

Apart 86 

Compound, The Woolf 85 

Com.pounded Engines 84 

Compounded Valve, Setting. 102 

Compression, Steam 67 

Concaves, Adjustment of . . 161 

Concaves, Setting the 160 

Concaves, Special 161 

Concaves, The 160 

Connecting the Equalizers. 133 

Connecting Rod 50 

Connecting Red Brasses ... 50 

Conveyor Boxes 16 8 

Conveyor Extension 171 

Conveyor, Removing the . . 22 3 

Conveyor, Sieve Speed 167 

Conveyor, The 167 

Contents of Wagon Box ... 248 

Cost of Oils 45 

Covers, Nailed Pulley 209 

Covers, Riveted Pulley .... 209 

Cracking Grain 157 

Crank Disc 70 

Crank Pin 70 

Cross-Head, Adjusting 52 

Cross-Head Shoes 5 2 

Crown Sheet, Warped 17 

Cup, "Ideal Grease" 45 

Cushion, Steam 67 

Cut-Off, Steam 67 

Cut-Off for Woolf Gear, Even 101 
Cylinder, Balancing Sep... 159 

Cylinder Boxes, Sep 156 

Cylinder, End Play of Sep. 156 

Cylinder, Engine 65 

250 



c 

Page 

Cylinder, Lubrication of En- 
gine 44 

Cylinder Oil, Cost of 45 

Cylinder Pulleys, Sep 155 

Cylinder, Separator 153 

Cylinder, Special S'eparator. 15 9 
Cylinder Speed, Ascertain- 
ing 155 

Cylinder, Speed of Sep 155 

Cylinder Teeth, Separator. 153 
Cylinder Teeth Tracking 

Separator 157 

D 

Dead-Centers, Finding .... 93 

Descending Hills 63 

Differential Gear 126 

Differential Gear, Locking.. 127 

Differential Gear, Oiling . . 128 

Disturbing Valve Settings. 96 

Dividing Clearance 6 8 

Draft, Forced 110 

Draft, Natural 110 

Draw Bar Horse Power.... 81 

Drawing Taper Keys 209 

Dressing for Belts 211 

Eccentric Strap, Adjusting. 53 

Elevator, Tailings 173 

Emmer, Threshing 190 

End-Play, S'eparator Cyl... 156 

Engine, Compounded 84 

Engine, Fittings for 9 

Engines, Handling the .... 59 

Engine, Hors-e Power of... 81 

Engine, Oiling tlie 43 

Engine Packed for Ship- 
ment 9 

Engine, Setting the 61 

Enginis, Speed of 73 

Engine, Starting an 11 

Engine on Road, Starting. . 12 

Engine, Steaming Up 10 

Engine, Steering 60 

Engine Tender 129 

Engine, Valve Gear 89 

Equal Leads, Woolf Gear.. 102 

25 



E 

Page 

Equalizers, Connecting the. 133 

Exhaust Nozzles 42 

Exhaust Ports 66 

Expansion of Steam 66 

Expanding Boiler Tubes ... 115 

Extension, The Conveyor.. 171 

F 

Pan, The 169 

Fan Blinds 169 

Fan, Removing the 224 

Fan, Speed of 170 

Fan, To Reach 224 

Feather K-eys 207 

Feeder, Attaching 228 

Feeder Carrier, Folding .. 229 

Feeder Governor 230 

Feeder, Oiling thie 229 

Feeder, Self 228 

Feeder, Speed of 231 

Feeder Speed Governor.... 230 

Feeder Straw Governor.... 230 

Feeding by Hand 227 

Feeding the Separator .... 227 

Feed Water Heaters 29 

Feed Water Straining .... 15 

Peed Water, The 15 

Figuring the Horse Power. . 81 

Finding the Dead Centers. 93 

Fire, In Case of 152 

Fire, Starting 10 

Firing witia Coal 33 

Firing with Cobs 40 

Firing with Oil 39 

Firing with S'traw 35 

Firing with Wood 34 

Firing with Various Fuels. 33 

Fittings for Boiler 107 

Fittings, Attaching Brass.. 9 

Pitting up an Engine 9 

Flax, Threshing 188 

Flues, Cleaning tlie 115 

Flues, Expanding the 115 

Foaming of Boiler Ill 

Folding Feeder Carrier 229 

Friction-Clutch 123 

Friction-Clutch, Adjusting. 125 

Friction-Clutch, Oiling .... 125 

Fuel, Coal 33 

I 



p 

Page 

Fuel, Cobs 40 

PuBl, Oil 38 

Fuel, Straw 35 

Fuel, Wood 34 

Fusible Plug 17, 110 

G 

Gage Cocks 19 

Gage, Glass 18 

Gage, Steam 107 

Gage, V/ater 18 

Gear, Differential 124 

Gear, Locking Differential. 127 
Gear, Oiling Differential... 128 

Gear, Valve 89 

Gearing, Lubricating the .. 122 

Gearing, Traction 121 

Glass, The Water 18 

Governor, Engine 72 

Governor, Adjusting Feeder 230 
Governor, B-elt for Engine. 73 
Governor Jumps, If Engine 74 

Governor, Oiling the 73 

Governor, Packing 73 

Governor, Speed of Engine. 73 
Governor, Speed of Feeder. 230 

Governor Troubles 74 

Grain, Calculating Am't of. 246 
Grain Conveyor, Removing 223 

Grain Handlers 241 

Grain Handlers, Attaching. 245 
Grain Handlers, Chain for. 246 

Grain, Headed 181 

Grain, Quantity of 247 

Grain, Threshing 181 

Grain, Weight per Bushel.. 240 

Grain, Weighers of 211 

Grates, Rocking 41 

Grates, Separator 163 

Grates, Warped Engine ... 33 

Gravel Hills 63 

Grease Cup, "Ideal" 45 

Greasing the Trucks 220 

Grouters, High 64 

H 

Hand Feeding 227 

Hand-Hole Plates, Packing. 114 



H 

Page 

Handling the Engine 59 

Hard Oil 45 

Heater for Feed Water 29 

Heater, Testing 31 

Heater, Repairing 31 

Hills, Ascending 62 

Hills, Descending 63 

Hills, Gravel 63 

Holes, Mud 63 

Horse Power, Brake 78 

HorsB Power, Calculating . 81 

Horse Power, Draw Bar . . 81 

Horse Power of an Engine 81 

Horse Power, Indicated ... 78 

Horse Power, Rated 75 

Horse Powers 131 

Horse Powers, Adjusting .. 135 

Horse Powers, Brake for ... 138 
Horse Powers, Bull Pinion 

for 139 

Horse Powers, Equalizers for 133 

Horse Powers, Jacks for ... 135 
Horse Powers, Horses for 131-140 

Horse Powers, Lubricating . . 132 

Horse Powers, Parts for . . . 142 

Horse Powers, Reversing ... . 138 

Horse Powers, Setting 131 

Horsti Powers, Pinions for.. 134 

Horse Powers, Starting .... 131 

Horses, Work of 140 

Hot Bearings 219 

Hulling Clover 198 

I 

"Ideal" Grease Cup 45 

Independent Pump 23 

Independent Stacker 234 

Indian Corn, Threshing .... 203 
Indicated Horse Power .... 78 

Injector 20 

Injector Failing to Work... 21 
Inserting Common Sieves.. 172 

J 

Jack for Horse Power 135 

Jack, Lifting 61 

Jack, Screw 61 

Jacks, Bolster 151 

252 



K 

Page 

Kaffir Corn, Threshing- 203 

Keys, Drawing Taper 208 

Keys, Fitting 208 

Keys, Taper 207 

Keys, Feather 207 

li 

Lacing Canvas Belts 21S 

Lacing Leather Belts 213 

Lacing Rubber Belts 215 

Lamp Black Paint 113 

Laying up a Separator .... 222 

Lead of Valve 100 

Leather Belts 211 

Leveling a Separator 151 

Lining up Eng. and Sep... 61 

Link Reverse Valve Setting 103 

Linseed Oil, Paint 113 

Loader, No. 5 245 

Loader, No. 6 245 

Locking the Differential ... 127 

Lost Motion in Engine .... 50 

Low Water 16 

Lubricating the Engine ... 43 

Lubricating the Gearing . . 122 

Lubricating Horse Powers. 132 
Lubricating Separators .148-219 

Lubricating Wind Stackers 237 

Lubrication of Cylinder ... 44 

Lubricator, Attaching 48 

Lubricator, Operating 48 

Lubricator Troubles 49 

Lucerne Threshing 199 

M 

Main Engine Bearing 54 

Main Cylinder Pulleys .... 155 

Main Drive Belt 212 

Maize, Threshing 203 

Marsh Pump, Starting .... 23 

Millet, Threshing 190 

Mud Holes 63 

Mud Hooks 64 

N 

Nailed Pulley Covers 209 

New Separator, Starting ... 147 

Nozzl-es, Exhaust 42 

No. 1 Weigher 242 

No. 2 Weigher 244 



N 

Page 

No. 3 Weigher 244 

I^o. 4 Bagger 245 

No. 5 Loader 245 

No. 6 Loader 245 

O 

Oats, Threshing 185 

Oil, Cost of 45 

Oil, Cylinder 44 

Oil, Firing- with 39 

Oil, Fuel Value of 40 

Oil, Hard 45 

Oil Pump, Attaching 46 

Oiling a Separator 148 

Oiling Attached Stackers... 234 
Oiling Cannon Bearings ... 121 
Oiling Combined Stacker .. 239 

Oiling Engine 43 

Oiling Differential Gear ... 128 

Oiling Feeder ,, . . . 229 

Oiling Friction Clutch 125 

Oiling Governor 73 

Oiling Separator 148 

Oiling Tailings Elevator .. 176 

Oiling Trucks 220 

Oiling Valve of Engine .... 44 

Oiling Wind Stacker 237 

Old Boiler, Testing an 117 

Old Boiler, Danger of Using 117 
Operating Attached Stacker 234 
Operating Combined Stacker 239 
Operating Lubricator ...... 48 

Operating Wind Stacker .. 235 
Orchard Grass, Threshing- . 201 



Packing Center Head of En- 
gine 87 

Packing Cylinder Head .... 6 9 

Packing Governor 73 

Packing Hand-Hole Plates 114 

Packing Piston Rod 69 

Packing Pump 27 

Packing Steam Chest Cover 69 

Packing Swift Lubricator. . 50 

Packing Valve Rod 69 

Packing Valve Stem 69 

Packing Water Glass 19 



253 



Page 

Painting- the Boiler 113 

Parts for Horse Powers ... 142 

Pea Pulleys 194 

Pea Threshing 191 

Peas, Special Cylinder for.. 15 9 

Peanut Pulleys 205 

Peanut Threshing 204 

Peep HoIb 38 

Penberthy Injector 20 

Piston, Engine 6 8 

Pop Safety Valve 109 

Port, Exhaust 66 

Port, S'team 66 

Pounding of an Engine .... 56 
Pounding of Straw Rack... 168 
Pressure for an Old Boiler. 117 

Priming 112 

Prony Brake 78 

Pulleys for Cylinder Shaft. 155 

Pulleys, Covering 209 

Pulley-Covers, Nailed 209 

Pulley-Covers, Riveted 209 

Pump, Independent 23 

Pump Packing 27 

Pump, Starting 23 

Pump Troubles 24-27 



Rated Horse Power 

Red-Top-Grass, Thr'eshing . 
Regrinding Check Valves . . 

Removing the Ashes 

Removing the Beater 

Removing the Conveyor .... 

Removing" the Pan 

Removing the Rock-Shaft, . 

Removing the Shoe 

Removing the Straw Rack.. 
Removing Spur-Wheel S'haf t 

Removing Taper Keys 

Repairing Heater 

Reverse Gear for Engime . . 
Reversing Gearing of H. P. 
Reversing Tumbling Rod . . 

Rice Pulleys 

Rice, Threshing 

Riveted Pulley Covers 

Rocking Grates 

Rock Shaft, Removing- 



75 

202 

29 

41 

222 

223 

224 

223 

224 

223 

137 

208 

31 

89 

138 

138 

197 

195 

209 

41 

223 



R 

Page 

Rubber Belts 211 

Rye, Threshing 184 



s: 



Safety Plug 17, 110 

Safety Valve 109 

Scraping the Tubes 115 

Screens 172 

Scre'ens, List of 174 

Seed, Weight per Bushel... 240 

Self-Feeders 228 

Separating, Difficulty of . . . 180 

Separator, Belts for 211 

Separator, Belting 210 

Separator, Canvas Cover for 222 

Separator, Care of 221 

Separator Cylinder 153 

Separator, Feeding the .... 227 

Separator, Laying up 222 

Separator, Leveling the ... 15 

Separator Lubrication 219 

Separator, New 147 

Separator, Oiling the 148 

S'eparator, Pulleys for 207 

Separator, Setting up 147 

Separator, Setting the .... 145 

Separator, Side Gear 134 

Separator, Starting a 147 

Setting as to Wind 152 

Setting the Concaves 160 

Setting the Engine 61 

Setting the Horse Power ..132 

Setting the Separator 150 

Setting up Separator 150 

Setting the Valve, Com- 
pound 102 

Setting Valve, Link Rev... 103 

Setting Valve, Woolf Rev.. 98 

Sho-e, Removing 224 

Shoe, Waste at 179 

Side Gear for Separator .... 134 

Sieves 170 

Sieves, Adjustable 170 

Sieves, Common 171 

Sieves, Common, List of . . . 174 

Sieves, To Insert 172 

Simple Engine 66 

Slide-Valve 66 



254 



s 

Page 
Slip of Valve, Woolf Gear.. 99 

S'moke Box 41 

Smoke Box, Painting- 113 

Smoke Stack 113 

Soft Plug 17, 110 

Solid Boxes, Babbitting .... 224 

Soy Beans, Threshing 193 

Special Concaves 161 

Special Cylinders, Sep 159 

Special Cylinders, Beans .. 194 
Special Cylinders, Peas .... 194 
Special Cylinders, Rice .159-194 
Special High Grouters .... 64 

Special Straw Rack 168 

Speed, Ascertaining Cyl.... 155 

S'peed of Engine 73 

Speed of Fan 170 

Spe-ed of Feeder 231 

Speed of Separator Cyl. 154-156 

Speed of Straw Rack 167 

Speed of Tumbling Rod . . , 134 
Speed of Wind Stacker Fan 238 

Speltz, Threshing 190 

Split Box, Babbitting 226 

Spur Pinions, Horse Power 134 

Spur Whe-el Shaft, H. P 139 

Stackers, Attached 233 

Stackers, Combined 238 

Stackers, Common 232 

Stackers, Independent 234 

Stackers, Oiling Attached . 234 
Stackers, Operating At- 
tached 234 

Stackers, Straw 233 

Stackers, Wind 234 

Stack Building, Wind Stack- 
er 235 

Starting Engine 11 

Starting Horse Power 131 

Starting Injector 20 

Starting Marsh Pump 23 

Starting Separator 147 

Starting Traction Gearing. . 12 

Steam Admission 67 

Steam Chest 66 

Steam Cut-Off 67 

Steam Expansion 67 

Steam Gage 107 

Steam Gage Siphon 108 



S 

Page 

Steam Ports 66 

Steam, Temperature of 120 

Steel Cable, Use of 64 

Steering Engine 60 

Straining the Feed Water. . 15 

Straw, Firing with 35 

Straw, Fuel Value of 40 

Straw-Rack 167 

Straw-Rack Boxes 168 

Straw-Rack Fish-Backs ... 168 

Straw-Rack, Oregon 168-187 

Straw-Rack, Pounding of.. 168 

Straw-Rack, Removing .... 223 

Straw-Rack, Special 168 

Straw-Rack, Speed of 167 

Straw-Rack, Texas 203 

Straw Stackers 233 

Sweating 119 

T 

Tables of Weights and 

Measures 232 

Tailings 177 

Tailings Elevator, Adjusting 176 
Tailings Elevator, Oiling... 176 

Tailings Elevator, The 173 

Tank, Contractors 130 

Tank-Pump 130 

Tank, Tender 129 

Tank, Water 129 

Taper-K'eys 207 

Taper-Keys, Drawing 208 

Teeth, Cylinder 153 

Teeth Tracking 157 

Testing Boiler 117-118 

Testing Water-Heater 31 

Tenders, Engine 129 

Throttle 71 

Throttle, Leaky 71 

Threshing, Alfalfa 199 

Threshing, Barley 1S6 

Threshing, Bean 193 

Threshing Brome Grass.... 202 
Threshing, Buckwheat .... 189 

Threshing, Emmer 190 

Threshing, Flax 188 

Threshing, Headed Grain... 181 
Threshing, Indian Corn . . . 203 
Threshing, Kaffir Corn .... 203 

255 



Page 

Thr-eshing-, Lucerne 199 

Threshing-, Maize 203 

Threshing, Millet 190 

Threshing, Oats 185 

Threshing, Orchard Grass.. 201 

Threshing, Peanuts 204 

Threshing, Peas 191 

Threshing, Red Top Grass.. 202 

Threshing, Kice 195 

Threshing, Rye 184 

Threshing, Soy Beans 193 

Threshing, Sp'eltz 190 

Threshing, Timothy 200 

Threshing, Turkey- Wheat . 184 

Threshing, Waste in 178 

Threshing, Wheat 182 

Tightener Pulley, Oiling. .. .149 

Timothy, Threshing ... 200 

Tracking of Teeth 157 

Traction Parts, Starting the 12 

Traction Gearing 121 

Trucks, Greasing 220 

Tubes, Beading 115 

Tubes, Cleaning 115 

Tubes, Expanding 115 

Tubes, Leaky 115 

Tumbling-Rod, Reversing.. 138 
Tumbling-Rod, Speed of... 134 
Turkey- Wheat, Threshing, . 184 

V 

Valve, Check 28 

Valve, Com.pound 85 

Valve Gear 89 

Valve Gear, Woolf 91 

Valve Gear, Disturbing .... 96 

Valve Lead 100 

Valve Oil 44 

Valve, Pop, Safety 109 

Valve, Portable Engine 102 

Valve-Seat 66 

Valve, Setting, Compounded 202 
Valve, S'etting, Link Reverse 103 
Valve, Setting, Portable En- 
gine 102 

. Valve Setting, Woolf Re- 
verse 98 



V 

Page 

Valve-Slip 99 

Valve, if Disturbed 96 

Valve Lubrication 44 

Valve, Slide 66 

Valve, Wide End of Slide.. 67 

Various Fuels, Firing with 33 



W 



Wa-gon-Box, Contents of... 248 

Washing the Boiler 113 

Waste at Shoe 179 

Waste in Separating 179 

Wasfe in Threshing 178 

Water, Feed 15 

Water, Foaming Ill 

Water-Gauge IS 

Water-Glass, Broken 20 

Water-Glass, Packing 19 

Water-Heater 29 

Water, Low 16 

Water, Priming 112 

Water Tanks 129 

Watier, Temperature of .... 120 

Weigher, No. 1 242 

Weigher, No. 2 244 

Weigher, No. 3 244 

Weigher Troubles 246 

Weight of Grain 240-242 

Wheat, Kernels per Buslrel 178 

Wheat, Threshing 182 

Wheat, Threshing Turkey.. 184 

"White-Caps" in Wheat 184 

Wind-Board 170 

Wind-Stackier 234 

Wind-Stacker Fan Speed... 238 
Wind-S'tacker, Lubricating. 237 
Wind-Stacker, Operating . . 235 
Wind-Stacker Stack Build- 
ing 237 

Wood, Firing with 34 

Wood, Fuel Value of 39 

Woolf Compound, The 84 

Woolf Reverse, Setting 

Valve 98 

Woolf Valve Gear 91 

Work of Horses 140 



256 



iSl S 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



h?9 5 VH\ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




DDDE7Sfl7flST 






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/ INCORPORATED 

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^\l U.S.A. ^. 



